


black coffee soul

by riverd0nt



Category: Riverdale - Fandom
Genre: AU Bughead, Alternate Universe - College/University, Artsy Jughead, Bipolar Disorder, But if you can get through it I promise it's so worth it, Cute coffee shop hangs, Falling In Love, I don't know how slow yet, I know the first chapter is super long, Journalism Major, Mental Health Issues, Slow Burn, Things are starting to get darker, Veronica with Anxiety, What have I set myself up for, Writing about a writer is just double the writing, and poetry too, but slow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-08 08:38:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11642907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riverd0nt/pseuds/riverd0nt
Summary: The first thing that Betty noticed about him was that he had kind eyes. They were light blue and they smiled along with his mouth. He had dark hair and as he leaned forward to shake her hand a strand of it fell into his face. Veronica was right, he was definitely attractive in an eclectic way.Betty was enamored from the moment he opened his mouth. He spoke with an eloquence and had an art for stringing words together.





	1. Improv

“And he wants us to call him Jim, how weird is that?” Veronica asked her friend Betty between mouthfuls of her sandwich from their college’s cafeteria. Veronica nodded with equal astonishment at the unique request that Veronica’s professor had made for his class to address him by his first name instead of the more formal title of Dr. Keller.

 

College wasn’t shaping up to be what Betty had envisioned at all. There were more rules set in place than she had imagined, however there was a definite lax in regulation when she compared the new atmosphere to that of her old high school and the dynamic of her home. In line with the nature of most aspects of her life, her preconceived expectations were not congruent with the reality she was experiencing.

 

“We have to arrange our desks into this big weird circle at the beginning of every class too,” Veronica continued, “I feel like I’m attending a group therapy session instead of Philosophy 1101. Is it too early in my college career to drop this class?” she asked with a shrug of her shoulders.

 

“Is it really that bad?” Betty questioned her friend with a look of surprise.

 

“I just don’t have the personality type that would allow me to enjoy a group discussion every day in lieu of a lecture. Silent confusion and scribbled note-taking is more my speed,” Veronica remarked.

 

Betty could relate as she struggled with her studies occasionally as well. “So there’s no one in the class that you think you could form an alliance with so that the whole group discussion thing isn’t so ominous?”

 

“I mean there’s only fourteen of us, it’s a pretty small group for a college class. There are a few girls that I wish I was bold enough to start up a friendship with, but you know me and my signature social awkwardness.”  


“You never know till you try, Ronnie girl.”

 

“There are a few boys that I’ve been scoping out though. One’s name is Archie, he’s an easy-going redhead with a dimpled smile.” Veronica grinned. “He seems to be very relaxed and carefree. There’s also a guy named Jughead who is interesting, as if the name doesn’t give that away. He’s definitely different, and he’s been wearing this weird beanie the past two classes. Kinda cute in his own silly way I guess.”

 

Betty nodded. “Okay, I’m telling you right now – your goal for this week is to have a conversation with two different people in this class. You literally have nothing to lose here,” she finished, crunching down on a chip.

 

Veronica sucked a breath in, “Girl think about what you’re asking. Think about _who_ you’re asking. I am the worst at starting conversations and you know I feel like everyone secretly hates me. Besides, I wouldn’t know what to do if you hadn’t started a conversation with me first. Well, I know we definitely wouldn’t be sitting here having this conversation right now,” she laughed with a twinge of disappointment in herself. She knew that she’d have to make an effort to form relationships in college but everything with Betty just seemed so effortless from the beginning. She never really had to try to maintain the relationship and she wouldn’t know where to begin if she had to make a conscious effort.

 

“See, if that’s not inspiration then I don’t know what is!” Betty exclaimed. “I said hello to you one day in the stairwell of our dorm and now we’re soul sisters. I trust you with my life.”

 

“I guess,” Veronica shrugged, fiddling one of the pearl earrings in her ear. That was her tell and Betty knew she was nervous at the thought of putting herself out there.

 

Betty hated the way that she had to watch her friend doubt herself. When Veronica looked in the mirror, she didn’t see what Betty saw. Veronica saw in her own reflection a girl that was too average, too unsure, overwhelmingly too much and too little at the same time. Betty saw a girl who radiated positivity and unconditional support for those she cared about. She didn’t have to wonder if their friendship would last a lifetime.

 

“I am extremely lucky to call you best friend, V,” Betty reassured. “So this is me saying take a chance and get to know someone! But don’t let them replace me,” she raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

 

“No worries there,” Veronica smiled.

 

 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

 

Betty’s 5:30 PM nap alarm went off and she hurried to hush it before it woke her suitemates up. They hadn’t quite clicked the way she and Veronica had and their interactions were fairly closed off and strictly on the basis of necessity. Betty, who knew herself to be unusually gifted at reading others, had not been able to get a read on her two suitemates Cheryl and Josie. She gathered what she could and determined that they were friendly enough, but getting on their bad side was something that she wanted to avoid at all costs.

 

Upon picking up her phone to switch off the alarm she flipped through the texts she had received while napping. She read the latest text from V:

 

**Dining hall dinner @ 6!**

 

Betty sighed, thinking of all the mediocre dinner choices that would face her tonight. Greasy pizza and soggy salads, no doubt. It was a Thursday and the week had been tiring enough without the additional sluggish haze that accompanied filling her stomach with the Den’s less than appealing cafeteria food. And to top it all off, every time she settled for something less than healthy she swore she could hear her mother’s voice in the back of her mind scolding her choice. She was going to have to make sure she stayed on top of her exercise routine to avoid unnecessary weight gain and yet another reason for her mother to be on her case.

The blonde pulled on a sweater and stepped out into the hallway directly outside her dorm room that she was entirely confident was colder than the October chill in the air outside. She shuddered and wondered to herself why buildings on college campuses always remained so chilly.

 

“Hey V,” Betty rounded the corner into the lobby of their residence hall. “How was class today?” she began as they made their way out onto the sidewalk. Betty whole-heartedly hoped that Veronica had taken her advice and an uncharacteristic leap of faith and initiated a conversation with someone – anyone.

 

“It was alright, I guess. Jim made us discuss some book we read about China. It was interesting. Finally heard a few words from some of the people that I’ve been making mental notes on.” Veronica’s phone dinged and she looked down. “Sorry, we were given a group homework assignment and I’m trying to keep up with the group messages so I’ll know where we’re meeting tomorrow. To be honest I’m a little nervous about us meeting without Jim’s guidance.”

 

“Oh, I think it’ll be great for your group!” Betty answered with no hesitation. “It will be nice to get a feel for the group dynamic without having your professor around. You guys can get to know each other without feeling like you’re under any kind of scrutiny.”  


“Very true,” Veronica agreed as they crossed the street to the cafeteria. “I really hope the stir fry isn’t pork tonight, it kinda makes me nauseous to look at it on the grill before it’s been cooked.”

 

The two swiped their meal cards and entered the cafeteria. Betty immediately spotted freshly made Mac & Cheese pizza slices and made a beeline. It was her absolute favorite pizza flavor and she held out hope that maybe the Den hadn’t included their signature bland touch when preparing it. She put all the helpful tips from her mother out of her mind as she grabbed two slices. She was too hungry to suffer through a salad with clammy lettuce and faded tomatoes.

 

After Betty grabbed something to drink, Veronica appeared almost on cue and they headed to a table together. The pair was almost always in sync, and Betty was thankful to have found a friend like Veronica as she had always longed for deeper levels of friendship that her high school experience just couldn’t deliver.

 

“Do you like improv?” Veronica asked suddenly as they sat down.

 

“Improv?” asked Betty, eyebrow raised. “As in improvisation?”  


“Exactly. Like acting without rehearsing, just getting up on stage and saying what comes to mind. Then letting the performance flow on its own.”

 

“I can’t say that I’ve ever seen anything like that,” Betty remarked. She was a member of the theater club while she was in high school, but all of their scenes for every production were meticulously rehearsed and polished down to the very arm movements.

 

My high school used to have an improv team and I was always jealous of them. They made it look so easy and fun, wit always flowing without any awkward silences.” Veronica paused. “That’s the dream.”

 

Veronica had attended a magnet high school in New York as she practiced ballet since early childhood. Her parents are very wealthy and Betty assumed that dancing was something that they had pushed Veronica into as a child in order to help with her social anxiety. Veronica had said she loved the dancing part because it provided a distraction to ease her mind from her anxiety, but she still experienced debilitating nerves before all of her performances. Now that she’s on college time, Veronica practices her dancing alone whenever she finds the time and Betty can’t recall her ever mentioning any interest in theater before now.

 

“I suppose that does sound like it could be fun,” Betty agreed. She considered herself to be very artsy, having an intense love for poetry and attending as many musical and theater productions that her schedule allowed.

 

“I’m asking because there’s an improv show tonight at the Bluebird Coffeehouse down the street. Apparently our college has a troupe called Mission Improvable, how cute is that? I looked them up on Facebook and their shows seem to be a hit. I think you know me well enough to know that I really don’t see myself going to it alone so I was hoping that you would want to come with me! I’ll even buy you a coffee.”

 

“Of course I’ll go! That sounds super fun!” Betty was proud of her friend for suggesting that they do something new and different together. Maybe her advice about opening herself up to new conversations had more of an influence than she had imagined. She smiled to herself and took a bite of her pizza. It was actually pretty decent, and she was thankful to have found something to fill her up. The past few nights’ dinners at the Den had left Betty unfulfilled and ignoring the dissatisfied growls of her stomach as she tried to fall asleep.

 

When they had both finished dinner, they walked to Bluebird. They marveled at how quaint the little downtown streets were and expressed their gratitude for being a part of such a close-knit college community.

 

When Betty opened the door to the coffee shop, the most heavenly smell enveloped her senses. There were string lights hung up all around the shop in preparation for the impending holidays and it gave the space a homely feeling. The baristas all looked like models and they seemed to know their craft. A girl dressed forest green overalls with almost waist-length blonde curls greeted the girls. She had rounded glasses perched on her face and emerald eyes peered out from behind them.

 

“Welcome to Bluebird, what can I get started for you?”

 

Betty paused – uncertain as to her tastes in coffee. She was used to the plain 8 o’clock coffee that her dad made in the mornings, not these new gourmet selections that the little shop’s menu offered. Feeling a twinge of guilt creep up at the thought of holding up the line of customers forming behind her she made a snap decision, “I’ll have an iced latte.” Simple enough, she figured. She preferred her coffee cold whenever she could get it, no matter the season.

 

Behind her, she heard Veronica order a hot Vanilla Caramel Latte as she stepped up to pay for their drinks. Betty thought that sounded delicious and made a mental note to try it upon her next visit.

 

“Thanks, V,” Betty said.

 

“No, thank you,” reassured her raven-haired friend. “For always being down for a new adventure.”

 

While their drinks were being prepared, they admired the wall décor which seemed to be a myriad of various paintings from different art students from their college. Betty felt the idea was so fun, it added an extra layer of local originality and flair to the quaint little space. The artwork on display was even for sale, which she imagined was good commission opportunity for the budding artists as well.

 

“Iced latte and a vanilla caramel,” a male barista called out and the two went to the counter to retrieve their drinks. Coffee in hand, they followed the stream of people who were filing down a small stairwell into the downstairs area which was aptly named “the nest.” The steps led to an open room with a small stage at the front. The small space was abuzz and almost all the chairs had been filled. Veronica looked around, trying to scope out two chairs beside each other but had no such luck. Finally, she spotted an empty chair and grabbed Betty’s arm as she snaked towards it through the crowd.

 

“Sorry, this is the best I could do,” Veronica shrugged. “You don’t mind sitting on my lap do you?” Betty knew that Veronica felt personally responsible for finding them seating since she had suggested that they come to the event, and it really was looking like close quarters was going to be the only option.

 

“Of course not, but what about the people behind us?” Betty asked, always one to take others needs into consideration.

 

“Oh, yikes,” Veronica muttered and turned her head around to face the group sitting directly behind the chair she had selected. “Is it okay if – Archie and Jughead!” her eyes lit up. “Oh my goodness, hi!”

 

“Veronica, nice to see you!” a red-haired boy exclaimed. His friend in a grey beanie smiled and mouthed a hello as well.

 

“Jughead and Archie, this is my friend Betty. Betty, this is Jughead and Archie.” Veronica introduced the two. “They’re the two in my philosophy class that I was telling you about,” she added.  


 

The red-head stuck out his hand and shook Betty’s firmly.  

  
Then, the boy with the beanie extended his hand to Betty. “Nice to meet you,” he said, shaking her hand.

 

The first thing that Betty noticed about him was that he had kind eyes. They were light blue and they smiled along with his mouth. He had dark hair and as he leaned forward to shake her hand a strand of it fell into his face. Veronica was right, he was definitely attractive in an eclectic way.

 

“I’ve heard a little about you,” Betty offered, hoping that he hadn’t noticed her making mental notes about his features. “Veronica says that this philosophy class you guys are in is really something?”

 

“Yeah, it’s definitely shaping up to be an adventure,” he shrugged. “Say Veronica, I didn’t know you were a fan of improv, I would have invited you to come with us tonight,” he gestured at his friend.

 

“Well now that I know you’re a regular, we should make it a weekly thing!” the girl nodded. “I know I’ll definitely be coming back, possibly before next Thursday because this is the best latte I’ve ever had,” she exclaimed while sipping on her drink.  


Betty had almost forgotten about hers and she took a sip. It was definitely a little strong for her liking, as she was more of a sickly-sweet coffee kind of person. Her dad always teased her that she took her creamer with coffee instead of the other way around. She had been so overwhelmed with the menu full of things she didn’t know anything about that she had simply ordered the first thing that sounded familiar.

 

“Not sweet enough?” Jughead asked. He had noticed her face as she took the first sip of her drink.

 

“Just not what I was expecting,” Betty answered. “I’m kind of new to the whole artisan coffee experience. I was holding up the line and didn’t know what to order,” she admitted.

 

“I see,” he nodded with a smile. Betty couldn’t help but notice that his teeth were perfectly straight and his smile was genuine. Betty smiled back and took another hesitant sip of her latte.

 

Veronica piped up again, “So what I was going to ask you guys was if it’s okay with you if Betty sits on my lap during the show? I couldn’t find two chairs side by side and in case you didn’t notice, she isn’t very tall so I don’t think she would be obstructing your view.”

 

“If you’d rather, you both could just sit beside us,” Jughead offered. He moved the pillows that were sitting beside him on the bench and patted the space beside him.

 

“That definitely sounds more comfortable for both of us,” Veronica agreed and the pair took his offer. Betty settled in next to Jughead and Veronica slid in on the other side of Archie.

 

“I don’t really know what to expect tonight,” Betty turned to Jughead in an effort to keep the conversation flowing. “I’ve always heard that improv is a thing, but have never actually sought out any shows until now.”

 

He looked at her, blue eyes trained on hers. “What I like about improv is that a scene can start off headed solidly in one direction, and it can change just as quickly as the actors’ minds. In regular theatre, everything is calculated and down to a science but with this type of thing, nothing is set in stone. I like the unpredictability of it all. And I love the atmosphere of this little coffee shop, so this is my happy place on Thursday nights.”

 

Betty was enamored from the moment he opened his mouth. He spoke with an eloquence and had an art for stringing words together. Before she could respond with her thoughts, an impressively tall man stepped onto the stage. He had a commanding, yet quirky presence as he welcomed everyone to the show. He introduced himself as the captain of Mission Improvable and began to call the names of the troupe who took their places on stage.

 

As soon as they began their scenes, Betty was captivated. It was like nothing she had ever seen. She was never for once second left without some sort of entertainment and she laughed more than she had since the start of college. And to top it off, she was sitting next to a boy who made her arm tingle when it rubbed against his. For an hour, she let herself relax and listened to Jughead’s laugh as it mingled with the others around her.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

After the show ended and everyone stood up to leave, Jughead asked Betty if she had enjoyed herself.

 

“Definitely my new favorite Thursday night activity,” she nodded with a smile. Jughead seemed pleased.

 

As the four headed up the stairs and toward the door, Betty could hear Veronica chatting with Archie. Betty was proud of her friend for hitting it off with these two young men because she knew it was no easy feat for Veronica.

 

“So tell me about this name of yours,” Betty began as they stepped out into the cool night air.

 

“See, if I tell you then I’d have to kill you,” Jughead remarked.

  
Betty raises an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

 

“No, but hearing my real name might actually do you in,” Jughead chuckled as the two walked along.

  
“That bad?” Betty mused.

 

“Let’s just say that I wish the name had stopped with my dad,” he shrugged.

 

Betty sensed undertones of something behind his voice, but she couldn’t begin to decipher what it would be. “If I guess it right, will you tell me?” She asked lightheartedly.

 

“Yes, but only because you’ll never guess it.”

 

“Okay, let’s see … Bartholomew?” Betty asked, saying the first name that popped into her head.

 

Jughead smirked and shook his head.

 

“Felix? Norbert? Adolf???” She quizzed again with a laugh.

 

“Still none of those, but definitely just as bad,” he remarked.

 

Betty sighed. He was clearly enjoying making learning about him into a challenge. Or was he flirting? She couldn’t tell.

 

Betty noticed that the walk back to campus went by quicker than it should have, and as they passed the library he turned to her, “That’s my cue.”  


“Got a paper due?” she asked.

 

“Yeah, I usually do my best writing in the coffee shop but we closed them down tonight so I guess it’s on to the next best thing - the library,” he quipped. “Hey Arch, I’m headed to the library for a while!” he called ahead.

 

Archie nodded his head and signaled a thumbs up in response, clearly preoccupied with his conversation with Veronica.

 

“It was nice to meet you, tonight. And I’m glad you had the pleasure of experiencing your first improv show. We should do it again sometime. See you around.” He smiled at Betty before they parted and she could see in his eyes that he was being truly genuine.

 

Turning, she continued the trek back to her dorm behind Archie and Veronica who were still engrossed in conversation. Betty didn’t mind as she was lost in her thoughts of her new acquaintance, specifically how and when she would have the chance to get to know him better. Something about him felt both familiar and foreign and she wanted to learn more about him.

 

It turned out that Archie and Jughead were roommates in the dorm opposite the girls’, so they parted ways at the crosswalk.

 

“I think you might have an admirer, Ronnie,” Betty turned to her friend. “He didn’t seem to want to end your conversation.”

 

“I admire his energy and enthusiasm,” Veronica mused. “He seemed very interested in what I had to say even though I was just telling him about where I went to high school.”

 

“Well you’d think that you two were discussing government secrets with the way he was tuned into you,” Betty concluded. Veronica needed someone that was visibly attentive and engrossed, otherwise she worried that they were disinterested or bored with her and that would trigger her anxiety and begin to make interaction difficult. Archie’s nature provided a perfect counterbalance to Veronica’s.

 

“What did you think about Jughead?” Veronica asked. “I’ve never quite understood what’s up with the name, by the way.”

 

“Yeah he didn’t seem to want to divulge any information on his real name and before I could ask him about the origin of said nickname, he had to go work on an assignment.” Betty sighed, wishing the two had talked more.

 

“Well if any information of interest about him comes up in class, I’ll be sure to let you know,” Veronica shrugs as she turns to head to her room. “I’ll see you tomorrow, I’ve got to finish a quiz so I’ll have time to end my day with Netflix.”

 

‘Goodnight V! And thank you for suggesting such a fun and different outing for us, I really enjoyed myself.” Betty headed in the direction of her room.

 

In bed that night, she looked up Jughead on Instagram out of curiosity. From what she could gather, she could tell that he wasn’t a big social media user. A lot of his pictures were of a cat perched in different places. _Definitely a cat person,_ she noted. There were also pictures of various moleskine notebooks with scribbling that she couldn’t make out. _A writer,_ she smiled to herself. She knew that his words were too eloquent for him to not be a master of expression.

 

Betty exited the app and closed her eyes. Behind them, all she could think about were the blue ones that had looked into hers earlier.


	2. Judging the Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As much as he enjoyed words, the boy was not an open book. 
> 
> Often, he wondered if anyone would even have an interest in turning his pages.

“Thanks, man,” Jughead threw over his shoulder as he grabbed his travel mug from barista at the counter and all but sprinted out the door of the coffee shop. He was trying to make sure he wasn’t late to his Philosophy group’s meeting. The night before he had lost track of time doing some writing for his Global Journalism class and when he had finally looked at the clock it read 2:30 AM. That’s the way his mind worked – when a train of thought seized him he had to continue riding it until he reached the final stop. The paper was completed but by the time he got back to his room and settled, it was 3:15. He felt accomplished but the dark circles under his eyes were arguably more pronounced thanks to his late night. Furiously refreshing the group message on his phone, Jughead saw that they had decided to meet at 9:15 AM in the library. Checking the time, he saw that it was only 9:00.

 

His pace slowed as he realized that for the first time that morning, he had time to catch his breath. Despite his late night, he had still gotten up at 7:00 so that he could spend some time in his favorite little coffee shop doing some writing for pleasure over an unhealthy amount of caffeine. Coffee was his greatest vice, and writing was his saving grace. As a journalism major, he cranks out a lot of mandatory writing. It gets tiring, but it’s what he truly loves. A few people had warned him that a degree in journalism would require a lot from him and worried that he would burn himself out on writing. But Jughead had made a pact with himself that in between all the hoops he had to jump through for his degree, he would always make time to write the words that he really wanted to say. For himself and maybe someday for others if he ever had an insane surge of self-confidence.

 

He closed his eyes and enjoyed the crisp morning air as it swept over his face. Ever since their encounter night before, his mind’s eye had been clouded with the thought of Betty. She had a calming air about her and he really admired that about her. He also liked the fact that she had given the improv show a real chance – the crowd it usually attracted didn’t seem like her type. And she was perky, _bubbly._ He had kicked himself for not initiating another time to hang out or at least getting her number but their university wasn’t that big so their chances of running into each other were not slim by any means.

 

Reaching the library, he checked his watch. 9:09. _Perfect,_ just enough time to find his group and arrive punctually. He had a distaste for people who were habitually late and sought to eliminate that characteristic in his own life. Time is the most precious currency, and it’s a sin to squander it.

 

He climbed the flight of stairs and peered around for his classmates. Veronica’s deep black hair caught his attention and he made his way over to the table. About 9 of the group members were already there and he was pleased to not be the last one that arrived.

 

“Hey Jughead,” Veronica said as he sat down in front of her.

 

He smiled. “How are you?” he asked, although he already had a pretty good idea. She was fiddling with her skirt and he could tell that she was dreading this group meeting.

 

“Ready to get this over with,” she admitted.

 

“Me too,” he sympathized. “I’ve got plenty more things to do today on top of getting this group project squared away. College has been kicking my butt.”

 

“Oh, mine too,” Veronica agreed. She could see the shiners under Jughead’s eyes and she felt a pang of sympathy for him. Her quiz had taken longer than she thought last night and she had stayed up into the wee hours of the morning trying to complete it. No Netflix for her. “What time did you finally get to sleep?”

 

“Around 3 AM,” he recounted. “By the time I got back to the room Archie had already passed out. That’s how I knew it must have been late because he usually stays up playing video games until at least 1:30.”

 

It was beyond Jughead to understand how his friend got all his work done in enough time to enjoy relaxing almost every night. Then again, Archie was a music major so maybe that had a little something to do with it.

 

At the mention of Archie’s name, Jughead thought he saw Veronica blush slightly.

 

Before he could say anything else, the final group members arrived and they began making plans for their presentation. After all the details had been laid out, the group got up to go their separate ways. As Veronica stood up to take her leave, a rogue thought ran across Jughead’s mind – _ask about Betty._ Before he could stop himself, “How’s Betty?” Too eager man, he scolded himself.

 

Veronica quirked an eyebrow, “She’s good, I assume. Haven’t seen her yet today. She’s probably in the Den having a late breakfast.”

 

“Oh, cool,” he says, making a conscious effort to be nonchalant.

 

“Yeah, breakfast is pretty cool,” Veronica teased. She now felt comfortable enough with him to tease. “I haven’t had mine yet, do you want me to text Betty and see if she’s still around?”

 

Jughead swore he felt a butterfly in his stomach. He decided he was definitely just too hungry; coffee only goes a little way in satisfying his monster appetite. “Sure, that would be great,” he agreed.

 

The pair walked to the Den and talked along the way, mostly about Veronica’s major. It was nursing, and Jughead didn’t know how she did it all. Most of the nursing majors in the cohort could be spotted making a mad dash toward the Health Sciences building on any given day. The stress was definitely enough to trigger anxiety, he thought.

 

The two arrived in the dining hall just in time to find Betty taking the last bite of her waffle. Jughead grabbed a plate and began piling it high with food – croissants (cold), eggs (runny), and bacon (limp). The Den’s food wasn’t gourmet by any stretch but hey, it was food. After filling every available inch of space with some sort of edible item, he made his way to the girls’ table.

“Hey Betty,” he greeted. “How are you this fine Friday morning?”

 

“Pretty worn out,” she said admitted. Noticing the dark patches below his eyes she figured he could relate.

 

To Jughead, Betty looked like she had gotten out of bed to the sound of songbirds and had a dose of sunshine in her morning coffee. Nothing about her suggested that she was tired _._ And yet, here she was in the same state as him. _Exhaustion, who wore it better?_

He immediately began stuffing his face.

 

“How’d the paper writing go?” Betty asked.

 

“Pretty efficient,” he managed in between mouthfuls. “Wrapped up the paper just in time to write another tonight.”

 

“What’s your major?” the blonde was curious.

 

“Journalism, with a minor in creative writing. I’m pretty much made of paragraphs and words flow through my veins,” he joked.

 

“I see,” Betty nodded. “It’s nice to be passionate about what you do.”

 

“What do you study?” Jughead asked. “Veronica already told me about her nursing career.”

 

“I’m a psychology major,” Betty shared. “I know you can’t do much of anything with just a Bachelors so I’m hoping to get into grad school so I can get my Masters so I can work as a therapist sometime in the distant future.” She always made light of not knowing what was to come in her future, but not knowing if her plans would become reality effectively terrified her.

 

“So people are your passion?” he smiled. It all seemed very Betty.

 

“Most definitely,” she mirrored his smile. “I really enjoy getting to know what’s in people’s souls. Therein lies the essence of who they truly are.”

 

 _Deep,_ Jughead thought to himself. It wasn’t that he thought Betty wasn’t insightful, he just didn’t imagine that she would be so willing to share her thoughts. Things like what she just said were the kind of thing that he wrote about in his notebook.

 

“What does Archie study?” Veronica asked, making sure the two were aware that she was still at the table.

 

“He’s a music major. Wants to be a high school music teacher one day,” he answered. “Can’t say that’s ever been an interest of mine, but it suits him well. The guy is always humming something under his breath and itching to strum a guitar.”

 

“Does he compose?” Betty wondered.

 

“Yeah, actually he does. And he shares his songs with the public, too. He’s got a lot more confidence than me.” Jughead shrugged. Archie had always been the more outgoing of the two, ever since they met in grade school. “I grew up with the guy, so I’m used to hearing his tunes but everyone that hears seems to love his style.”

 

Then he remembered something Archie mentioned the other day. “He’s actually playing at Bluebird Saturday night … Oh, I guess that would be tomorrow night.” The days were running together. “There’s an open mic night for musicians and poets and the like, basically anyone who wants to showcase their work. I’m promised Arch I’d be in attendance, and I’m sure he’d love to see two more familiar faces. Do you guys have plans for tomorrow night?”

 

“We’d love to come,” Betty enthused. Veronica smiled and nodded in agreement.

 

“Cool beans. It’s in the basement, the same place they had improv last night. Starts at 7:30.”

 

The three continued to chat until Veronica had finished her breakfast. Jughead’s had long since vanished. When Betty glanced at her watch, she realized that she had to be in class in 7 minutes. That boy in the beanie sure had a way of making her time disappear.

 

“I’ve got to go,” she announced standing up grabbing her plate. “It was nice talking to you, Jughead. See you tomorrow night,” she chirped.

 

Veronica got up to leave as well. “Thanks for coming to eat with us,” she smiled. “Now I feel like I have two good friends instead of only one,” she joked.

  
What a pair, he thought to himself. A girl who dreads social interaction and another who can’t get enough of people. It reminded him in a way of his friendship with Archie; one boy who took the stage by storm showcasing his talent, and another who hid his away inside notebooks on pages that had never been looked upon by strangers’ eyes.

 

He had never been close enough to anyone he wanted to share his inner-most musings with. Sure Archie was the greatest friend he had but he just didn’t think his writings would be of any interest to his red-haired pal. Besides, Archie had never asked to read his words either. It had just never come up. When Jughead would write, his friend would work on his music and the two would co-exist peacefully until Archie asked if he could demo some chord progressions for feedback. They had a routine, and they stuck to it.

 

The truth is, Jughead wouldn’t know what to do if someone asked to read his work. Most of it was deeply personal, and he had a hard time opening up as it is. For example, he doesn’t even go by his real name. Archie hadn’t even known what it was until one day in high school when Jughead figured they’d been friends long enough to just tell him already.

 

As much as he enjoyed words, the boy was not an open book. Often, he wondered if anyone would even have an interest in turning his pages.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 _A journalism major_ , Betty thought. Now that makes the most sense. The boy definitely had a silver tongue. She didn’t dare disclose any about on the Instagram investigation she had conducted but it came to mind when he mentioned that he was pursuing journalism. _I wonder if he ever writes anything personal,_ she thought of the notebooks with the scrawled handwriting. She loved to read poetry and she was willing to bet that his would be phenomenal. A man that could express himself in poetic form was her weakness.

  
The rest of the day passed unceremoniously for her. She went to class, went to dinner with Veronica and spent the rest of her evening in bed on Tumblr. She followed a lot of artists and enjoyed scrolling through their work in her free time.

 

Betty was excited for their outing on Saturday night. The activity was right up her alley and so was the company. She scrolled through her blog feed, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Although she was looking at the computer screen, _she was daydreaming about Jughead._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Intentionally made this chapter shorter because I felt the first was a little too long.
> 
> Tried to flesh out Jughead's character a little more as well as his and Archie's friendship.
> 
> More Veronica plot to come, I promise.
> 
> This has been so fun to write so far and I hope you guys enjoy!


	3. Musing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She really wanted to stop and ask him where he was going. She wanted to know what he was listening to, what kind of books he reads when he reads just for fun, and how he takes his coffee. But most of all, she wanted to know what he writes in those notebooks when he is alone.
> 
> 'What’s come over you, Betty?' she reprimanded herself for being so caught up in thoughts of a boy she barely knew. 
> 
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> If you like poetry, this chapter is one that you won't want to miss.

Betty woke in a sleepy haze that Saturday morning. 10:12 AM. She must have fallen asleep while using her computer because it had slid off her lap and was dangerously close to falling off the edge of her bed. It was rare for Betty to drift off in the middle of doing something, even mindlessly scrolling the internet. College must have been taking more of a toll on her than she was willing to admit.

 

She checked her phone and saw that she hadn’t missed any important notifications. Usually on Saturday mornings she and Veronica would go to Waffle House or IHOP for a weekend treat. She was about to text her to make plans when she remembered V telling her that she was going to have to spend the day working on her part of the Philosophy group assignment if she had any hope of going to open mic night.

 

The blonde decided to follow in her friend’s footsteps and take a picnic blanket to front campus so she could sit in the sunshine and do a little studying of her own. It never hurts to get ahead on reading, she figured. After she had showered and collected everything she needed for her day, Betty set off for the campus lawn. It was a pretty day in early October and sitting in the sunshine provided her with just enough warmth to beat the chill in the air. After grabbing a bagel from the school’s breakfast shop, she he sat her blanket down and spread out her materials to begin working.

 

A few hours in, she looked up from her Behavior Science stupor and surveyed the scene around her. She loved her little campus. It was small but not _too_ small. She never once felt like she was going to get lost looking for a particular building. Every day, she passed the same people on the way to her classes. She didn’t know them all personally but it was a sea of friendly faces. Her parents had been delighted that she chose a college so close to her her hometown of Riverdale. It was also a small town so the adjustment hadn’t been a big one for her.

 

College was great because nobody knows who you are or what you’ve done. To everyone around you, you’re just another student who struggles through the same classes and dines on the same crappy food. In college, the only thing that you are required to do is pass your classes. Keep your grades up and don’t waste your parents’ money and time (or your own). Aside from that, you are free to do whatever, whenever, with whoever. Betty revelled the freedom after having been under her parents’ thumb for practically her whole life.

 

As she was watching cars coast through town, something caught her eye. Is that? _It is._ A head of dark hair with a grey beanie on top. Sure enough, she watched a flannel-clad Jughead walking down the sidewalk right by front campus. She swallowed his name as it rose in her throat and resisted the urge to call out to him. He had in earbuds anyways and seemed to be listening intently to something. _He’s in his own little world,_ Betty thought. Plus, she’s going to be spending time with him tonight so she doesn’t want to be overly eager or burn him out on the thought of her.

 

She really wanted to stop and ask him where he was going. She wanted to know what he was listening to, what kind of books he reads when he reads just for fun, and how he takes his coffee. But most of all, she wanted to know what he writes in those notebooks when he is alone.

_What’s come over you, Betty?_ she reprimanded herself for being so caught up in thoughts of a boy she barely knew.

 

But she knew exactly what she saw in him – he was startlingly mature. Boys in Riverdale just didn’t exhibit the certain qualities that Jughead possessed. The ability to carry on a healthy conversation, genuine interest in others, and dry wit were a few at the top of the list.

 

The boys at Riverdale high had still been laughing about crude jokes a few days before graduation. Betty wondered what contributed to Jughead’s sophisticated attitude. She speculated that a lot was expected of him. Or perhaps he had been through some sort of trauma that forced him to grow up fast. Whatever it was, Betty had a burning desire to know all about it.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Jughead had stayed up late Friday night writing another paper so he let himself sleep in on Saturday morning. It was past lunchtime when he finally rolled out of bed. Even so, the overwhelming need for coffee still slapped him in the face as soon as he started getting ready for the day. He was fairly sure that his blood, sweat, and tears were all made of coffee.

 

Archie had begun his day hours earlier, and was no doubt in the music hall practicing his songs for that evening. Jughead grabbed his messenger bag from his desk chair and slung it over his shoulder on his way out the door. Not really in the mood for social interaction, he plugged his earbuds into his phone and crammed them in his ears. Some days were just like that. Hozier’s beautifully mournful voice filled up his ears and the sounds of a college Saturday faded around him as he lost himself in thought.

 

He headed straight for Bluebird and set his bag down to secure a table by the window. Sometimes seating in the tiny space was hard to come by. Stepping up to the counter, he ordered the largest size of coffee the shop had to offer and a couple slices of pumpkin bread.

 

Once the barista called his name and he had retrieved the fuel, he settled down and pulled a small moleskin out of his back pocket and opened it to a fresh page. It was almost as if the words were burning a hole in his hand as the pen collided with naked paper.

 

_I don’t know what keeps you up at night –_

_sounds of your city,_

_sirens, trains, or people with voices too big for their bodies_

_I don’t know if you spend that time thinking –_

_about your next high, your future, your daughter, or me_

_but I do know that you should be envious_

_of the mother that I always wished you were._

_It should steal your sleep_

_it should rattle you, shake you_

_thinking of it should blind you just like the sun,_

_the way that it invades closed eyelids and makes afternoon sleep difficult._

_She could have been everything –_

_and to say you were something is an overstatement._

_There is a ghost of you,_

_there is a phantom of her,_

_and only one ever haunts me._

Jughead sighed. He realized that he had been tensed up, and made himself relax. His shoulders dropped and he felt lighter.

 

It was rare for him to write about his mother because she never fulfilled any of the roles of motherhood. His mother had been a drug addict, a slave to the high. Constantly pulled in the direction of substances and away from the family that needed her. One day he blinked and she was gone forever.

 

He usually resisted writing about her because he knew that it wouldn’t make a difference. It would never bring her back. Nothing would. But sometimes when he got overwhelmed, it was almost like his emotions were painfully built up behind a dam and he would feel a desperate need to open the floodgates. He turned his hurt and anger into words. It could always be worse.

 

Life hadn’t been particularly easy for him. His father had been broken in his own way – always thirsty for his next drink. The liquid made him mean. There were some good times, but they had mostly had been overshadowed by the bad. It’s hard for one candle of light to shine in a sea of darkness.

 

The most prominent happy memories from his childhood are ones that involve Archie. The redhead had appeared in Jughead’s life when he needed him the most, after his mother’s first overdose. It was almost like the universe hand-picked Archie as a consolation prize. Either way, he’d take it.

 

His sister, Jellybean, was the most vibrant splash of color in his otherwise grayscale world. She was his hope. The reason he tried to hard to keep it together. He was her protector, someone to stand in between her and the blackness that had crept up to consume their parents.

 

He loved his sister more than he loved anyone else and definitely more than he loved himself. He almost didn’t go to college because he wanted to be around in case she needed him but she had assured him that everything would be fine. After all, she was the older than she’d ever been.

 

 _It’s now or never,_ she told him. _I’ve got to learn to be confident standing up on my own. If I need you, I will call. You’ve taught me everything I know._

  
That all but killed Jughead but he knew there’s really no way to properly master the art of letting go. Good reason or bad, it all hurts just the same.

 

Lost in his thoughts, he almost forgets that he has coffee to drink. One sip confirms that it’s dropped to the right temperature – just cool enough to not burn the tongue. He woofs down the pumpkin bread and his mind drifts back to Betty.

 

She reminded him a lot of Jellybean. Passionate about others and more than able to light up a room.

 

He looked forward to the evening and all that it had in store.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Betty couldn’t decide what to wear. She headed back to her dorm around 5 so that she would have time to change before dinner and the show, but all the time in the world couldn’t magically make her brain decide on an outfit.

 

She texted Veronica:

 

**what are you wearing tonite?**

A few minutes later, she read her friend’s response:

 

**jeans and a cute shirt. pearls to dress it up. you know me, girl. go for comfort w/ a little bit of style**

Betty did indeed know Veronica and those pearls. Her signature touch. It suited her. She was classy and elegant, even when she wore jeans.

 

She figured it wasn’t life or death so she grabbed some dark wash jeans and a slim fitting yellow sweater. _Good enough,_ she decided. And it didn’t look like she had been standing in front of the mirror for seventeen minutes trying to decide what to wear. Definitely not.

 

Dinner at the Den was actually bearable, and soon the girls were headed to Bluebird. Veronica really liked the place, mentioning that she felt at ease even in the cramped basement. Betty was proud of her for expanding her comfort zone.

 

When they arrived, the line for coffee was out the door and the girls had to stand out on the sidewalk. Betty really had her heart set on trying the Vanilla Caramel Latte. Veronica offered to go secure seats in the nest and almost on cue, Jughead appeared.

 

“Evening, ladies,” he greeted. “Can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m actually coffee-d out for the day. Want me to go get us seats?”

 

“I’ll come with you,” Veronica blurted. The line was beginning to overwhelm her as the coffee house was busier than she had ever seen it.

 

“Thanks you guys, I’ll be right down,” Betty smiled at her friends, perhaps a little brighter at one of them.

 

She finally reached the barista and put her order in, and she could hear the sounds of someone tuning up a guitar while she waited. Anxious, she checked her watch hoping that she wouldn’t miss anything. _7:26._ It’ll be close, she figures, biting her lip.

 

As soon as her drink order is ready she grabs it and hurries downstairs. She makes it to the bottom as soon as the host steps up to announce the first act and slides in beside Jughead just as he begins to speak.

 

“Safe,” he waves his hand and smiles. She smiles sheepishly.

 

“I’ve had my heart set on this coffee the whole entire day,” she tells him. She closes her eyes and takes a sip, sighing loudly when it reaches her taste buds. _Out of this world, good._

 

Jughead is watching her intently, but she is too enamored with the drink to notice. It’s a good thing, he thinks. He’s definitely got something obvious written all over his face. _A woman after my own heart,_ he thinks.

 

Open mic night begins with a young woman named Valerie. Betty knows she’s seen her someplace; she just can’t recall where exactly. She opens her mouth to sing and her voice drips honey. The performance is astonishing.

 

“There’s a lot of hidden talent in this crowd,” Jughead whispers to Betty.

 

“I can’t wait to finally hear Archie,” she whispers back. “You’ve really hyped him up for us so he better deliver.”

 

A few people take the stage, all of which are memorizing. It makes Betty wish that she had a hidden talent to delight audiences.

 

Archie’s moment finally arrives and Betty settles down into her seat, ready to be enthralled. Jughead sneaks a glance at her and she feels his eyes on her face so she smiles in response. His friend starts strumming the guitar and the second his mouth opens on his first note, Betty’s mouth drops open.

 _He’s amazing,_ she thinks. _He’s got a radio voice. Ed Sheeran should be embarrassed._

 

She listens intently to the way the lyrics rise and fall with feeling as the melody floats through the air. Looking over at Veronica, she sees her eyes wide and memorized. Betty notices the look because it’s the same one that Veronica gets when she’s online shopping and spots a dress she absolutely has to buy.

 

When the song is over, Jughead and the girls are the first to clap. Even though she had only known him for a couple of days, Betty was proud to call herself his acquaintance. Jughead clapped Archie on the back as he sat back down.

 

“Always phenomenal, man,” Jughead praised his friend.

 

The rest of the acts were just as wonderful as Archie’s and Betty felt the night was over too soon. After the show ended, many people complimented the redhead on his performance. He graciously accepted and chatted with the other performers.

 

“So, do you have any hidden talents I should know about?” Betty turned to Jughead. “Ambidexterity? Magic tricks? Telekinesis?”

 

“No,” he laughs. “I’m pretty straightforward. And a horrible singer, so don’t ever ask about that. What about you, Betty? What are you hiding up your sleeve?”

 

“Well, I do have an extraordinary sense of intuition. It’s my super power, if you will, and I have a feeling there’s a lot you’re not telling me.” Betty took a chance.

 

Jughead felt something clench inside of his stomach. _Could she really see?_ All he could do was give her a weak smile, “Is that so?”

 

“I’m very good at what I do,” Betty quipped. “People are my passion,” she winked as she reminded him of the words he had spoken only a day earlier.

 

 _Damn this girl is something else,_ Jughead thought to himself.

 

Betty bit her tongue the rest of the night to refrain from asking him the ten million questions that had been swirling around in her mind ever since Thursday night. It wasn’t the place or the time. Tonight belonged to Archie and Betty let herself be content listening to him talk about his music. It made her happy inside to see Veronica so enraptured. Whatever this was shaping up to be, she hoped it would be good for them both. _That latte was more than worth the wait, and I know Jughead will be too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes some of my own personal poetry and that is a big deal for me.
> 
> Like Jughead's character, I don't usually share my work with others.
> 
> Don't forget to let me know what you think.


	4. Glimpses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once he stepped out of her room, he finally let out the breath he had been holding. In the midst of it all, he had forgotten how to breathe. Betty had fallen apart right in front of him.
> 
> Everything had happened so suddenly.

It didn’t seem like anything bad had ever happened to Betty Cooper. It wasn’t that Jughead thought she was weak or naïve, she just carried herself like she hadn’t been touched by the darkness in the world around her. He could usually pinpoint people who had tragedy in their pasts. Those people gave off a certain energy.

 

Betty was sunshine incarnate. Her heart was light. Her eyes danced. Her smile was radiant and her words were kind. Her lips were –

 

 _Wait her lips? Why are you thinking about Betty’s lips, man? Get a grip,_ Jughead reprimanded himself. _You have so much work to do before you graduate, it’s going to take you an extra year. And that’s without spending time on a girl._

But God, Jughead admired Betty. He liked the idea of her. He enjoyed spending time with her. And he definitely wanted to see her again soon.

 

Archie came back into their room, startling Jughead out of his thoughts.

 

“You got any big plans today?” the redhead asks his friend.

 

“Just the usual, probably going to head to the coffee shop at some point. The writing is never finished.” He lets out a sigh. “How about you? Any adoring fans lining up to take you out?”

 

Archie shrugged. “I don’t know, but man I’m really digging Veronica. Do you think she’d ever want to have dinner with me?”

 

Jughead raised his eyebrows. “She was definitely the one I was referring to.” Sometimes Archie was a little … _dense._ “And if that girl doesn’t want to hang out with you, she’ll be the only one I’ve ever met.”

 

Archie had gone out with many girls while they were in high school, but none of his relationships had lasted particularly long. Jughead, on the other hand, had never had an actual girlfriend. He had dated around here and there, but always gave the women an excuse as to why he couldn’t see them anymore.

 

He always told others that it was to focus on his future, but the real truth of the matter was his desire to keep everyone at arm’s length. Getting close to others resulted in heartbreak, and that was almost all he had ever known. Life was simplest when he had no one to take care of but himself and Jellybean.

 

And if anyone asked, that’s what he’d tell them.

 

_But then came Betty._

 

_\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

She felt it while she was putting on her mascara. A twinge of pain in the back of her skull. _No, no, no,_ she thought. She had been doing so well lately. Going to bed at a decent hour, drinking enough water, and trying not to stress. The pain pricked again and she hoped it wasn’t what it felt like.

 

Quickly, Betty took a couple of Aleve and prayed that they would work quickly. She distracted herself with finishing her morning routine.

 

It was Sunday and she had a lot of reading to catch up on. She had planned to treat herself to another latte from Bluebird for an extra kick start of motivation. The pain subsided so after her finishing touches, she grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

 

As soon as she stepped out the front door of the building, sunlight streamed into her eyes. The pain flared up again, and she put on her sunglasses to try and put a damper on the brightness. _Work through the pain,_ she told herself. _You just took some medicine and it will kick in soon. You are fine._

She continued walking and every step caused a new throb. It felt like her head was in a vice grip and she could hear the blood pounding in her ears.

 

Slowing her pace, she ran a hand through her hair and tugged off the elastic holding her ponytail. Her hair fell around her shoulders but the pain didn’t ease up. She was about to sit down on a nearby bench to collect herself when she heard a familiar voice.

 

“Hey, you! How ar—” Jughead stopped short.

 

Betty didn’t look like herself. She had one hand holding her head and the other was clenched into a fist at her side. Her face was pale, and her brows were furrowed behind her shades.

 

“Are you alright, Betty?” She heard him ask.

 

“I’m fine, I just … I need …” Betty stammered. She could see the boy standing in front of her, but her vision was beginning to fade into black around the edges. “Migraine,” she managed. She knew she needed to act soon. “I need … to get back to my room,” she said in between flashes of almost unbearable pain.

 

Jughead put one of his hands on Betty’s back and held her arm with another. “Can you make it now or do you need a minute?” He asked, eyes wide. He’d never seen Betty like this. It was a little frightening.

 

“I can go now,” she said through gritted teeth.

 

Together, the two made it back to her room and she fumbled with shaky hands to turn her key in the lock. Jughead took the keys unlocked the door for her. Pushing it open, he helped her get inside and lay down on the bed.

 

“Have you taken any medicine? Aspirin?” he was beginning to panic, unsure how to help the blonde.

 

“I’ve got some medicine in that drawer,” she groaned, lifting her hand to point weakly in the direction of her desk.

 

Jughead moved quickly and began rummaging through her drawers. The second one he opened was like a pharmacy. It was filled with various orange bottles all labeled with different names.

 

He swallowed hard as he began pulling out the same kind of bottles that his mother used to leave lying around. _This is different,_ he told himself.

 

“What kind do you need?” he scrambled to read off labels, “there’s Hydromorphone, Vicodin, Percocet…?” his voice trailed off. _Damn, Betty._

“Give me the Vicodin,” she managed. He handed the bottle over to her and she sat up, opening the bottle and dumping a pill into her hand. “Could you get be some water?” she asked, eyes still squinted closed.

 

Jughead grabbed the nearest cup and filled it with water from her bathroom sink. His patient used it to take her pill and then lied back down with her head in her hands.

 

“Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked.

 

Betty was about to answer when her stomach turned and emptied its contents before she could give a warning. Her friend was quick to grab her desk trash can and hold it up to her mouth. When she finished heaving, Jughead could see tears running down her face.

 

Her forehead was clammy when he brushed a few strands of blonde from around her eyes. Sweat was rolling down the side of her face and he figured that the bulky sweater she had on wasn’t helping anything. Gingerly, he lifted up her arms and helped her remove it so that she was left in her tank top.

 

“Better?” he questioned gingerly. Betty sniffled. “Hey, hey,” he soothed, brushing strands of blonde from around her eyes. “Everything is going to be okay,” he said, also trying to convince himself. He felt helpless. The pain must be intolerable.

 

“This means I have to take another pill,” she gestured toward the wastebasket. A bit hesitantly, he handed her another one. She had more success in taking it this time and Jughead draped a blanket over her feet as she lay back down.

 

After cleaning up the mess as best he could, he sat in the desk chair and watched her intently for a moment. Her breathing became slow and steady and noticed her brow slowly unfurrow. When she finally looked like she felt relief, he stood up to take his leave.

 

Before walking out the door, he grabbed a pen and one of the stray pieces of paper littering her desk. He left his number.

Call me if you need anything, he wrote. You don’t deserve pain like this.

He set the note on her bedside table and closed the door behind him as quietly as he could.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Jughead sent a text to Veronica asking her to check up on Betty in a few hours. Even after the relief of her pain, she would most likely be down for the count for the rest of the day.

 

Once he stepped out of her room, he finally let out the breath he had been holding. In the midst of it all, he had forgotten how to breathe. _Betty had fallen apart right in front of him._

 

Everything happened so suddenly. He had spotted her from down the sidewalk and had just reached her by the time she started struggling. If he hadn’t been there to help her, he didn’t know if she would have made it back to her room safely.

 

His thoughts were a tornado of worry. _Worry was an understatement, he was terrified._ He knew that every single one of those bottles hidden in that desk drawer were slippery slopes in and of themselves. Sifting through her stash, he was reminded of the days that his mother used to take him and Jellybean to the doctor for their various “conditions,” in hopes of getting her hands on a prescription even half as strong as the ones in Betty’s bottles.

 

 _How long had things been like this for her?_ he wondered. _How long had she been relying on narcotics?_

 

Now that she had his number, he hoped they would talk sooner than later.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Betty was in twilight for the rest of the afternoon. The sounds of doors slamming in her dorm hallway and the voices of fellow students woke her occasionally out of sleep. She drifted in and out of dreams and her most vivid she could remember involved a particular boy with a beanie.

 

_The Earth had split beneath her feet and it was swallowing the city around it. Betty stood at the edge of the hole and marveled at the vast expanse of nothingness. She lost her footing and began to slip into the abyss just as Jughead appeared and put his arms around her. They both fell into the void and all she could feel was his strong arms around her, holding her close._

She woke up before they hit the bottom.

Around 6 PM, she finally awoke long enough to hear a timid knock at the door. She sat up slowly, touching her head. It was sore as if someone had hit her in the back of the skull with something hard.  She slipped her feet slowly to the ground and eased up as if one wrong move would send the pain right back.

 

On the other side of the door was Veronica wearing a concerned expression.

 

“How are you feeling?” she asked quietly.

 

“Better, I think,” Betty’s voice scratchy with sleep. “What time is it?”

 

“6:06,” Veronica answered. “I was actually just about to head to dinner with one Archie Andrews,” she smiled shyly.

“Oh my goodness, V, that’s so exciting!” Betty was thrilled for her friend. “Where are you going?”

 

“Some Mediterranean place downtown? Archie picked it. They have live music tonight. It’s not Archie, though,” she added with a grin.

 

“Well you’d better go, I’d hate to hold up your lovely evening!” Betty attempted to playfully shoo her friend away. “I’m doing fine now. Probably just going to make a sandwich for dinner, start off with something slow.”

 

“Promise you’ll let me know if you need anything?” Veronica asked and Betty saw a glint of worry flash across her eyes.

 

“I promise, V. I’m okay now. Really.” She smiled to reinforce her words. “Go have fun!”

 

The two hugged and Betty shut the door. She really did feel a lot better. Maybe her episode earlier had just been her body trying to tell her that it needed more rest.

 

On the way to open her mini fridge, she noticed a note. Written in the same familiar scrawl from Jughead’s Instagram pictures were a string of numbers and a heartfelt note. Her heart leaped. Forgetting hunger, she picked up her phone.

 

Should she call or text?

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jughead had just sent Archie off on his big date when his phone rang. It was a number he didn’t recognize, and he hoped with everything in him that it was Betty on the other line.

 

“Hello?” he answered.

 

“Hi,” a soft voice answered. “Uh, it’s Betty.”

 

He couldn’t resist the smile that was spreading across his face. “How are you feeling, champ?”

 

“I think the worst is over,” she said confidently. “I don’t really remember a lot about what happened, but thank you for all that you did for me.”

 

“Of course, Betts,” the nickname rolled off his tongue and out of his mouth before he even thought it through. _Smooth, man._ “Say, are you hungry? I can bring you something,” he blurted.

 

“Actually, I think I’m just going to fix myself a sandwich and attempt to do some of the work I was supposed to finish, say, 5 hours ago,” she laughed weakly. “Thank you for the offer, though.”

 

“Don’t work too hard,” he worried.

 

“I won’t. Just need to add a few finishing touches to a presentation I’m giving tomorrow. It’s a good thing this all happened today, I guess. Missing class puts you so behind on everything.”

 

“Yeah, I guess it could have been worse,” Jughead admitted. _It was still pretty bad,_ he thought.

 

“Hey, why don’t you let me treat you to coffee tomorrow?” she said, “or whenever, of course it doesn’t have to be tomorrow if you’re too bus--”

 

“I would love to have coffee tomorrow,” Jughead interrupted her nervous spiel. By this point, he was wearing a full grin and thanked the electronics gods that Betty couldn’t see the goofy expression on his face through a voice call. 

 

“Okay, great!” she enthused. “Meet you there at … say, 7?”

 

“It’s a date,” he said.

 

A Monday evening had never been filled with so much promise.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we're getting to the good stuff. 
> 
> It's going to get deeper from here, and I hope you'll stick around for the ride.


	5. Underneath

Betty sat her plate down on the cafeteria table and took her place in front of it. “How was your dinner with Archie?” she asked Veronica as she picked up her fork and nudged her salad around on her plate. Her appetite still hadn’t fully returned from the day before.

 

“It was really, really nice! The restaurant had such a chill vibe and the live music was that girl Valerie from open mic night. They had bottomless hummus and pita bread and the kebabs were to die for!” the raven haired girl mused.

 

“And the boy?” the blonde coaxed.

 

“I really don’t want to speak too soon, but the guy is really a breath of fresh air. The conversation never lagged and all of my prayers for no awkward silences were answered.”

 

“Did he walk you home?” Betty raised an eyebrow.

 

“Yes, and he even kissed my cheek. A true gentleman,” her friend swooned. “And what about your knight in shining beanie? You really don’t plan on sharing all the details with me?”

 

“It really wasn’t anything remotely romantic or even enjoyable. He helped me as I stumbled back to my room and then cleaned up my vomit. Probably as far away from a date as you can get.”

 

“Okay, maybe so, but what he did was _so_ gentleman-like. Sweeping you off your feet still counts even if you were having trouble standing to begin with,” Veronica winked.

 

“Maybe so,” Betty blushed. “We do have a date this evening, though. I’m buying him coffee to say thank you for taking care of me during my breakdown.”

 

“Very promising!” she nearly squealed. “You’ll have to come to my room and spill all the dirt afterward. Me and Archie don’t have another date until this Friday so I’ll have to get my kicks through you until then.”

 

“You know there’s no hiding anything from you, Ronnie. My love life is basically yours too.”

 

The two finished their lunch and headed their separate ways for class.

 

Betty’s presentation went well and she _really_ tried to pay attention in all of her classes but she just wasn’t very interested in statistics that afternoon. It was just another hour that stood between her, delicious coffee, and a handsome boy.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

_We’re not all standing on equal ground,_

_but we all fall at the same speed._

_Gravity doesn’t limit itself to the heavy,_

_and light hearts_

_can hit rock bottom with just as much force_

_as one wrapped in the weight of the world._

Jughead put his pen down and looked out the window. Rain was slapping against the sidewalk and the sky was muggy. He loved this kind of weather. It reminded him of when he was younger and he’d take Jellybean out in the rain so she could dance around and jump in puddles.

 

He had taken a break from the coffee shop and was sitting at a table by the expanse of windows in the student library. He was supposed to be working on an article for his Covering Religion class but he’d given up trying to focus on Judaism in Israel a long time ago.

 

His heart ached for Betty. He had grossly misjudged her. She _did_ know pain. And she hid it well. Jughead couldn’t imagine life with chronic migraines and he certainly hated that Betty had such a burden to bear.

 

He wanted to be there for her when things got too much. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and keep her pain at bay. He wanted to whisper in her ear that _he understood, and he would sit with her in the darkness._ There was no use trying to hide it from himself anymore, _he liked Betty._

 

They always say that the first step is admitting it to yourself, he thought with a smile.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The bell over the front door signaled Betty’s arrival at Bluebird that evening. She searched the room for Jughead and found him sitting at a table in the back. When their eyes met, he closed his laptop and headed towards her.   
  
Before she could say anything he took her into his arms with a hug. It was abrupt but she settled in against his chest and took a deep breath. His shirt smelled faintly of laundry detergent and it was comforting.

 

It was still pouring rain and her blonde hair was soaked, stray drops of water clung to her eyelashes and she left a wet mark when Jughead finally released her from his embrace. Even though she had taken her car, she couldn’t find a spot close to the shop so she had to park a block down the street.

 

“Yikes, I’m sorry,” she patted at the water that had soaked into his shirt.

 

“No man is able to control the weather. Not even a woman can,” he quipped with a wink.

 

“You ready for coffee?” she gestured toward the barista who had been watching their scene unfold.

 

“If you have to ask, do you really know me?” Jughead bantered.

 _Not nearly as well as I’d like to,_ Betty thought to herself as they made their way to the counter.

 

Betty scanned the menu. She wanted to order something different tonight. “I’ll have a chai latte,” she decided. She stepped away waited for Jughead to place his order.

 

“The darkest, strongest concoction you’ve got behind that counter,” the boy in the beanie laughed. “I’ll take one of those.”

 

Betty paid for their drinks and they sat back down at Jughead’s table in the back.

 

“I hope today has been a better day for you,” he began. “Yesterday was … intense.”

 

“Yeah, I’m sorry you had to witness all that. Usually, I find a way to manage but yesterday was a struggle.”

 

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t do more to help you. I’m not really the most competent at playing nurse,” he admitted.

 

“Jughead, you went above and beyond yesterday and I’m so grateful that you ran into me when you did. I probably owe you more than just a coffee.”

 

He smiled at the thought of more than coffee with Betty and just as he was about to open his mouth, the barista called out their orders. After retrieving them and sitting back down, he looked the blonde in her eyes. “Tell me how long it’s been like that for you … like yesterday.”

 

She took a deep breath, “Well, it started when I was in high school. Freshman year, I’d start getting these headaches that would last for days. When I had one, I wouldn’t be able to sleep, I could barely eat, even lying in the bed hurt. Medicine helped, but only for a short time before the pain would come back greater than before.”

 

Jughead’s eyes widened. “So did you see a doctor?” _That’s a dumb question,_ he immediately thought to himself. What kind of person with chronic pain doesn’t see a doctor?

 

“I went to doctor after doctor and all they did was prescribe different meds or refer me to another, more expensive, doctor. They ran tests, labs, all kinds of things but still couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong. Some told me I was too stressed or that I didn’t drink enough water. Others said I could be triggered by certain foods or allergens. I still don’t really know for sure what causes the pain.”

 

“So how did you get it to go away?”

 

“As demonstrated by what happened yesterday, it never really did. It actually got to the point where I’d have to go to the emergency room and get a steroid shot in my butt that got rid of the pain by basically putting me into a sleep that lasted for up to two days. I was basically sleeping my life away.”

 

“So things haven’t gotten any better?”

 

“I guess they have. I don’t have to get the shots anymore, but I still experience excruciating pain that seems to be triggered by nothing. But I have a plan of action that seems to be working. The latest specialist that I saw prescribed all of those pills that you saw. My body has built up a tolerance to certain meds, so I have to mix and match sometimes in order to get the pain to ease off. Still not ideal, but I’m only out for a couple of hours instead of days at a time. And the meds have been working so far, knock on wood.”

 

Jughead doesn’t know what to say. He reaches out and puts his hand over hers. Betty welcomes his touch, warm and tender.

 

“It’s really not that bad,” she assures. “Just one of the skeletons in my closet.”

 

He rubs his thumb over her hand. _If only you knew._

 

“Okay I’ve talked an awful lot about me, when do I get to hear about you?”

 

“What would you like to know?” he tilts his head in amusement.

 

“Now you know that’s not a fair question.” Betty chides. “I gave you something, it’s only fair that you return the favor.” Her eyes light up, “Tell me a secret.”

 

 _If I told you one secret, it might feel so good that I won’t be able to stop. You could drown in all my secrets_ , he thinks.

 

After a pause, he decides to just start somewhere. “I know what you mean about not being able to get out of the bed. I actually suffer from bipolar disorder.” He pauses to take a sip of his coffee. “It started showing up when I was in high school. There were weeks, months even when I felt on top of the world. And then it was like a switch flipped somewhere inside me and the world would turn dark. I would lie in bed, unmoving, for days. And then days would turn into weeks until one day I’d just get up and go on with my life. Then the cycle would start all over again.”

 

Betty takes in a breath and Jughead searches her eyes for a sign of what she might be feeling. Her eyes are emerald and glistening, taking in all he has to say.

  
“I would never have guessed,” she started. “You’re so-”

 

“Normal?” he cuts her off mid-sentence. _How many times had he heard that one before?_

“No, that’s not what I meant at all. You seem like you have life mastered. You are so wise and I admire that the most about you. I feel like you’re just totally confident about what you’re doing and where you’re going in life.”

 

“Mental illness is funny like that I guess. But I’m glad you see me in that way.”

 

Betty’s heart broke for him. Not that there was anyone particularly deserving of the hard things in life, but Jughead surely wasn’t. The boy had a heart made entirely of gold.

 

The two sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, both processing what they had just learned. Neither could bring themselves to fill the air with unnecessary words.

 

“I guess the most difficult part is that most people discount what others like me really go through. They just thought I used to get sad sometimes. But it wasn’t only that. I was happy too. Sometimes so happy that it drained me of all the energy I had. And the lows, well … it was a lot more than being sad.”

 

“Are you still wrestling with it?” She asked.

 

“It’s definitely still in me. Some days I feel it more than others,” he said. “I make sure to always take my medicine and I’m seeing a therapist which helps more than I thought it would.”

 

Betty threads her fingers through his and sends a knowing look across the table to him. “Thank you for opening up to me, Jughead. It means more than you know for you to trust me with this part of you.”  
  
“Well it’s only fair, right?” he teased. “You literally spilled your guts in front of me yesterday.”

 

Betty scoffed playfully as she felt her cheeks warm up in a blush.

 

“It’s okay, you’re still cute even when you’re puking,” he assured her. _More blushing._

 

The two finished their coffee over a more carefree conversation.

 

Jughead didn’t let go of her hand for the rest of their date.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what I'm hoping for is that this starts moving quicker. Feels like it's been a little slow up until here.
> 
> I guess it is a slow burn, though. 
> 
> We'll see.


	6. Conflict and Consequence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter ahead!

“And you’re sure that you’re comfortable with that?” Betty asked, unconvinced.

 

Veronica had just told her about Archie’s invitation to go out to a party on Friday night. Beer, crowds, and reckless shenanigans had never been her easily-intimidated friend’s cup of tea.

 

“I mean it’s not a quiet evening at the movies but Archie wants me to meet some more of his friends.”

 

Betty nodded. It was nice that Archie wanted to include her, but it sounded like Veronica still wasn’t entirely confident in the idea.

 

Since the start of college, the girls had attended only one party. It was extremely socially draining to try and keep up with all of the names and faces around them while simultaneously pumping alcohol into their systems. They both had quickly become overwhelmed and ditched the scene, summoning an Uber for late night Mexican food.

 

‘Maybe it _is_ time to give the social scene another chance,” Betty acquiesced. “Going to parties is what you’re supposed to do in college, right?” 

 

“He said we could bail if everything got too much,” Veronica concluded. “All I can do is go into it with no expectations and an open mind.”

 

“I think you’ll find that all the best nights start that way,” the blonde smiled at her friend. “I’m actually doing that with Jughead and things are going surprisingly well.”

 

“What _else_ are you doing with Jughead?” her friend teased.

 

Betty blushed hard. “Well, I think we’re going to hang out and watch some movies on Thursday,” she attempted to steer the conversation in a different direction.

 

“Alone?” Veronica’s eyes widened. “In his room? On his bed? With the lights off?”

 

It didn’t work. “I think you know it’s not like that, Ronnie,” Betty knew that her face was redder than the sauce on the pizza she was eating.

 

She had told her friend all about her coffee date, although she left out the personal information that Jughead had shared with her. Opening up to someone was never an easy feat and the last thing Betty wanted to do was betray Jughead’s trust. Besides, she knew Veronica was mainly interested in whether or not they had touched and how much Jughead had flirted. It wasn’t that her friend didn’t appreciate deep emotional connections, they just discuss it very much in regards each other’s love lives. Veronica mainly wanted to hear Betty’s fluff, which she willingly supplied.

 

“I’m just teasing you, girl. Jughead and Archie are a different breed.”

 

“How so?” Betty was curious. She knew what her friend meant, she was just curious to hear her take on it.

 

“They’re just … genuine. Unlike most guys that I’ve seen around here, I can tell that they’re not into playing games. Both of those men really know how to treat a woman.”

 

 _Can’t argue with that,_ Betty thought. She hadn’t met a lot of boys that would sacrifice their own time to take care of someone else if there wasn’t anything in it for them _._ Pickings in Riverdale had been slim to none.

 

Her mother had always told her that it was best to wait until college to get serious about dating.

  
_I hope you were right,_ _mom._

 

_\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

 

The week dragged along for Jughead as he spent almost every waking moment planted in front of his laptop. He was a well-oiled machine, spitting out article after article and then transitioning into reading and researching. It was tiring, but he enjoyed every minute of it. Okay, well maybe he enjoyed certain minutes a little more.

 

Like the ones where he texted Betty.

 

Ever since their date, he had taken up texting her periodically throughout the day to say little things like

**In Bluebird. Thinking of you.**

or

 

**Just checking on you. Hope the day is going well.**

She always responded within the minute. It comforted him to know that she looked forward to hearing from him.

 

After their coffee date had gone so well, he wanted to do something special for her, although he didn’t want to take her out for a fancy dinner just yet. Archie’s dating style had always been a little grander than his own. _Then again, what even was his dating style anyways?_

 

Betty had mentioned that her favorite movie was Pulp Fiction and Jughead’s mouth had almost immediately dropped open. He _loved Tarantino._ That’s what made him suggest that they just have a movie night in. It was low-key and didn’t require dressing up or spending a ghastly amount of money.

_Perfect,_ she had agreed.

 

Now if Friday could just hurry up and arrive then everything would be golden.

 

Speaking of golden, he couldn’t get that girl out of his head. She had proven to be so much more than a cute blonde. It was so hard for Jughead to voice his feelings, but all Betty had to do was look at him with that softness in her eyes and he wouldn’t hesitate to answer anything she asked. He’d probably even hand over his social security number and credit card info.

 

The feelings she brought him were ones that he wasn’t used to. _Comfort. Validation. Solidarity._

He had been searching his whole life and when he had finally given up, she had appeared, iced latte in hand.

 

What a strange feeling it is when the universe decides to hand you something you thought you’d never find.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“You’re sure you two don’t want to come out with us?” Archie asks his roommate for the eight-thousandth time in what felt like a twenty-minute span.

 

“Yes, Arch,” Jughead sighs. “Betty and I are fine here. We won’t be playing any beer pong or grinding on each other, but I think we’ll manage to enjoy each other’s company just the same.”

 

“Just wanted to make sure that you know you’re always welcome, Jug. I know it’s not really your scene.” 

 

“I appreciate that,” Jughead nodded. “I do. You are always very gracious to include me. Just not feeling up for a lot of excitement tonight is all. Kinda beat from this whole week if I’m being honest. Looking forward to a relaxing evening with no writing included.”

 

The redhead pulled on a jacket and tucked his keys and wallet into the pocket. “I really do hope you two have fun tonight, man. You deserve something good.”

 

-

 

Veronica is sitting on Betty’s bed, trying to help her decide what outfit is _just enough but not too much_ for movie night. Definitely leggings, she insisted. But what they couldn’t narrow down was whether Betty should opt for a knit sweater or a flowy t-shirt.

 

Betty wanted the tee because she was a creature of comfort but Veronica pushed for the sweater because it accentuated more of Betty’s curves.

 

 _The night wasn’t about curves,_ she had tried to tell her raven-haired wardrobe consultant. But part of her still wanted Jughead to like what he saw.

 

She had just decided to take her friend’s advice and go for the sweater when both of their phones dinged at almost the same time. Veronica’s was from Archie, telling her that he was waiting outside her dorm to walk to the party.

 

Betty’s was from Jughead and it read

 

**Archie just headed out, I’m all yours. Room 114.**

Her heart fluttered at his choice of phrasing and she grinned as she replied

 

**On my way. Don’t eat all the snacks before I can get there.**

She followed her friend out the door and when they reached the porch, Archie greeted them both with hugs and a kiss on Ronnie’s cheek.

 

“You kids have fun,” Betty smirked. “Be safe and call me if you need anything,” she added. _Yikes, she was turning into her mother. On second thought, no she wasn’t. Alice Cooper would never have let her daughter attend a party like the ones that were thrown every weekend in college._

“Have fun with my boy Jughead. He’s really been looking forward to seeing you.”

 

Archie’s comment makes Betty smile and she waves the couple goodbye as she starts in the opposite direction.

 

When Betty reaches the room, her stomach is doing gymnastics. _Why is she nervous to watch movies that she’s already seen before?_ She takes a deep breath and knocks.

 

Jughead opens the door, and she lights up. He’s wearing jeans, a gray tee with an S on it, and of course, the crown beanie.

 

“Hey, you,” he pulls Betty in for their second hug. This time he smells like popcorn. Or it could just be the room, as the smell intensifies when she steps inside.

 

“Happy Friday,” Betty says with a contented sigh.

 

He shuts the door behind them and walks over to his microwave to pull out the bag inside.

 

“Freshly popped and it didn’t cost nine dollars,” he jokes about overpriced movie concessions.

 

Betty pops a piece in her mouth and savors its flavor. Just enough salt and butter to be heavenly. She pulls a bag of gummy bears out of her purse.

 

“Don’t judge me,” she says. People constantly were constantly teasing her for her childlike tastes in candy.

 

Gummy bears were always Jellybean’s favorite. “Judge you?” Jughead scoffs. “For gummy bears? Never! For licorice? Always.”

 

Betty laughs. “Well you’re in luck because I happen to hate that stuff.”

 

The boy walks over to the futon and she takes a minute to look around his room. Jughead’s bed was lofted with the futon nestled in below it and Archie’s bed was directly across from it. Above Jughead’s bed was a poster of what appeared to be the characters from a popular television series drawn in cartoon style. His desk was full of textbooks and paperbacks. Lots of Steven King, she noted. _All very Jughead._

 

“What movie did you want to take in this evening?” his voice snaps her out of the visual tour she had been conducting of his living space.   


“Didn’t we decide on Tarantino?” she asked. Maybe he had changed his mind.

 

“Yes, but we certainly have options. Kill Bill Vol. 1 and/or Vol 2., Django Unchained, Pulp Fiction? Resevoir Dogs, Inglourious Basterds? Stop me when you hear one you like.”

 

“I’m always going to be partial to Pulp Fiction,” she shrugged.

 

“Then Pulp Fiction it is,” he grinned as he selected it from the menu. “Turn off the lamp, would you?”

 

Betty switched it off and the room was plunged into darkness. She fumbled her way over to where Jughead was sitting and nestled in beside him. Their legs were touching, and she pretended that her nerve endings weren’t sending signals like crazy all throughout her body.

 

With her bag of gummy bears in her lap and the bowl of popcorn balanced on her date’s knee, they lost themselves in Tarantino’s iconic direction.

 

Jughead was pleasantly surprised at Betty’s taste in film. He watched her as she watched the screen, eyes wide while the action took place. She was riveted and he had to suppress a light chuckle when she didn’t even flinch as each new violent scene unfolded. He swore her eyes were sparkling.

 

“Fun fact,” he began as the credits rolled, “Mia Wallace’s Fox Force Five dialogue was actually a reference to the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad from the Kill Bill movies in which Uma Thurman acted as well.”

 

“That’s one of my favorite details,” Betty nodded enthusiastically. “Another fun fact: I was Mia Wallace for Halloween last year.”

 

The boy’s eyebrows rose significantly. “Blonde and angelic Betty Cooper, a chain-smoking cocaine addict? Now that, I can’t envision.”

 

“Let me help you,” Betty pulled out her phone. She scrolled a few seconds through her camera roll before landing on a picture. “See?”

 

He leaned closer to peer at the girl in the photo. She was wearing a shoulder length black wig with bangs. Mascara was smudged around her eyes and fake blood was smeared from the tip of her nostrils and trailed all the way down between her breasts. There was a black lacy bra and a white shirt, unbuttoned just enough to show a sufficient amount of cleavage. The black wig was wild and messy and she had an authoritative look in her eyes. She clutched a cigarette in between her black fingernails.

 

“I was going for the post-overdose look.”

 

His mouth went dry. Jughead already thought Betty was gorgeous. Poised and polished, she was attractive in an innocent way. But this look was appealing in an uncharacteristically opposite and very _sexy_ way. With a tight chest, he turned his gaze back to her face.

 

“What?” Betty asked, not being able to read his expression.

 

“Just not what I was expecting, I guess. Very … dark Betty. I like it.”

 

“Well you can’t exactly be Mia Wallace when you’re blonde and dressed in pastel colors, can you?” The blonde giggled.

 

“No, I guess not,” he agreed. “Is that a real cig?”

 

“Yes, but it was raining that night so it promptly became soggy. I had to ditch it shortly after the photo was taken.” It had felt exciting to Betty, holding such a foreign thing in between her fingers. _Alice Cooper would have had a fit._ She thinks that’s why she had chosen the costume.

 

“Did someone take you out for a five-dollar shake? It would have only been right.”

 

“No, I had to settle for Taco Bell. Not nearly as satisfying.”

 

“Well we need to right that injustice immediately. Do you want to get some ice cream?”

 

Betty was about to give him her answer when her phone started ringing. It was lit up with Veronica’s name and a photo of her smiling friend. A feeling of uneasiness washed over her as she put the phone up to her ear.

 

“Hel--” Before she could even finish, Veronica’s voice moaned slurred the phone. “Bett I lost my keysssand-”

 

“Wait, Veronica slow down,” Betty instructed. Her friend’s words were jumbled and she sounded like she had been crying. She flashed Jughead a worried look and he leaned in to try and catch what Veronica was saying.

 

“I lost my keys Betty,” she hiccupped. “I don’t knowhow, I can’t get back in the building to my room.”

 

Betty glanced at the clock on Jughead’s desk. _1:15 AM._ It had been 10 when they had parted ways that night. She stood up.

 

“Okay, Ronnie I’ll be right there okay? Where’s Archie?”  


“I donknow because I lefthe party without him,” more slurred words.

 

“Why would you do that?” Betty said as she flashed another worried look in the boy’s direction. He stood up too, lightly brushing his fingertips down the arm that was holding her cell phone to her ear.

 

“Hey, can you stay on the phone with me?” she asked her friend. “Jughead and I are on the way,” she looked at him with a look that said _do you mind?_ His eyes were soft and he shook his head as if to say _whatever you need._

He grabbed his keys off the desk and switched on the light so Betty could see to walk to the door. He opened it for her and they both hurried down the hall. Betty’s voice was soothing but still laced with fear around the edges. He was tense with worry and his ire was rising. If Archie had done anything at all to hurt that girl, he was going to pay. Jughead had always had a volatile temper and no patience for people who made reckless and irresponsible decisions without regard for others.

 

“V, are you okay?” Betty’s voice had risen in volume. “We’re almost there, I promise,” _throwing up,_ she mouthed to Jughead as the quickened her pace.

 

 _Damn,_ he thought. _How did it get that bad? And where the HELL was Archie??_ His temper flared, then mingled with worry. Ditching dates had never been his best friend’s style. Something must be really wrong.

 

The two were completely in step as they sprinted out of Jughead’s dorm and across the street to Betty’s. When the spotted Veronica, she was slumped over the railing of the porch heaving into the bushes below. Upon seeing her, Betty shoved her phone back into her purse and ran up the stairs.

 

“Shhhh,” she soothed her friend, pulling her dark hair back from her face and pocketing her cell phone for safe keeping. The smell was awful.

 

Veronica finished heaving and began to sob. She turned around Betty noticed something she had never seen before in her eyes. _Panic, disorientation, borderline hysteria._

“Tell me what happened, anything you can remember. Start anywhere,” she consoled.

 

“We were in a- a house. There were girls … alot of girls flirting with Archie. I drank a lot, I wanted to be a fun date,” she garbled through tears. Then her expression contorted – more heaving.

 

“And you lost your keys?”

 

“I went to the bathroom buthen I wanted to come h-home. Archie doesn’t know.”

 

“Archie doesn’t know you left?” the blonde asks, alarmed. “Veronica do you know how worried he probably is?”

 

“H-he was having fun and I didn’t wanna ruin his night by being boring.”

 

Betty shot Jughead an anxious look and she took out her own keys to open the door to their residence hall. Just as the lock clicked open and she was about to grab the handle, a familiar voice called out.

 

“Veronica?! Oh my god!” A very sweaty and out of breath Archie took the porch stairs two at a time. “I turned around and you were gone! What happened? How can I help??” he turned his wide and frightened eyes towards Betty.

 

Jughead stepped between the girls and Archie, “I think you’ve done enough.” His tone was steady but Betty sensed undertones of resentment.

 

“I’m just gonna take her inside to my room since she doesn’t have her key,” she said – in Jughead’s direction. She wasn’t mad at Archie, but he had failed to keep her friend safe in her most vulnerable state.

 

Betty let the door shut close behind her as she helped her friend walk down the hall. She could hear the muffled voices of Jughead and Archie arguing behind her, but she had more important matters to focus her attention on at the moment. Veronica was limp against her, alcohol putting a void on all of her body’s strength.

 

Betty hurriedly unlocked her door and led her intoxicated friend inside. She silently said a prayer of thanks that her roommate had gone home for the weekend otherwise she would definitely be nominated for the “worst roommate ever” award.

 

Turning on the bathroom light, she led Veronica in and sat her down at the foot of the toilet. She leaned forward and was sick again and Betty hurried to retrieve a pillow and a blanket. The vomiting would probably last for a while longer, she figured.

 

“V, I’ll be right back okay?” Betty said softly. Her friend nodded and she slipped back out into the hallway. When she opened the front door of the building, Archie and Jughead were almost yelling at one another.

 

“But how did it even happen, Archie?!” Jughead snapped.   
 

Betty took in a sharp breath. She had never heard him raise his voice or even seen him upset before. It was a little frightening.

 

Archie saw her emerge and directed his attention toward her. “Please tell me she’s alright,” he begged.

 

“She’ll live, but it might be her last party for a while.”

 

“I swear I don’t even know what happened Betty. Some girl kept grabbing me and asking me play pong with her and I kept telling her no and when I turned back, Veronica had just disappeared. She kept taking shots and I kept trying to make her slow down but she kept pushing me away and --”

  
Archie’s mindless rambling was cut off when Jughead shoved him. _Hard._ He almost fell over the porch railing.

 

“What the hell, Jughead??” the redhead spat at his friend. “What do you think, I did this on purpose!”

 

“It should have never even been a _possibility,_ ” Jughead seethed through gritted teeth. _How could his friend be so careless?_

“Well I’ll remember this grace you’re giving me next time you make a mistake. And for the record, stuff like this never happens to you because you’re always too busy typing on that stupid laptop. You’re like a damn robot. Do you even have any friends besides me and Betty?”

 

The dark haired boy’s jaw twitched and rage crossed his features. Betty could tell that Archie had embarrassed him. His fists were clenched as he walked up to his roommate, not stopping until they were nose to nose.

 

“Get _fucked_ , Archie.” Jughead’s voice was almost a growl.

 

He bounded down the steps and stormed off into the night without even looking back.

 

Betty was stunned as she watched his figure disappear into the dark.

 

“I’m _so_ sorry,” Archie broke the silence. “For everything. You know I would never purposely do anything like this.” He walked over to her and put his hand on her arm. His eyes were twin pools of remorse.

 

“This is college. Things happen sometimes. We’re all tired and things will be better in the morning.” She sighed and walked back inside, leaving him standing on the porch.

 

_So much for a quiet night in._


	7. Reconciliation

Jughead squinted at his cell phone’s screen. Three texts and two missed calls. All from Archie and Betty.

 

He sat up from his cramped position and tried to stretch his muscles out. There was a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He hated the thought of having to face either of his friends and he wondered if he could just disappear.

 

After the incident the previous night, he had slept in the backseat of his car. Any further contact with Archie would have no doubt sent him spiraling over the edge. Although he had lost his temper the night before, he hadn’t gone so far as to lose control.

 

He ran his hands through his hair. _Betty had seen him show his ass._ _He had really screwed up._

Sighing, he exited his car. After a more satisfying stretch, he grabbed his jacket and beanie from the backseat.

 

It was time to face the music.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Betty woke to the sound of soft knocking at her door.

 

“Just a second,” she called softly. She padded quietly into the bathroom to find Veronica snoring lightly, face against the tile floor. _That couldn’t be sanitary,_ Betty winced. Not wanting to bring her friend into harsh reality just yet, she tiptoed back out of the bathroom.

  
When she opened the door, Jughead was waiting on the other side. He looked weary and disheveled, still in the clothes he had been wearing the previous night.

 

“I tried texting, but decided making the trip in person would be more beneficial,” he said carefully.

 

“I’m sorry, I just woke up. V is still passed out the bathroom floor.” She put the doorstop in place and stepped into the hallway. It was deserted, probably because the time was 8 AM on a Saturday morning. Most of the people on her hallway were probably closer to Veronica’s state than Betty’s.

 

“Betty, I am so incredibly sorry,” the boy said, the palm of his hand rubbing the back of his neck. “For Archie. For what happened to Veronica. And most of all for how I reacted.”

 

“I understand,” she nodded. “And I forgive you. But I think Archie got more of the brunt than I did.”

 

“Yeah since I'm pretty sure Veronica doesn't remember anything, he’s next on my list of amends,” Jughead sighs. “Is there somewhere we can go and talk?”

 

Betty slipped back into her room and grabbed her keys before removing the door stopper and letting it close behind her. She led the way to the front porch and the two sat in a pair of rocking chairs. Immediately enveloped in the chill of the morning air, she wrapped her arms around herself. _A jacket would have been nice,_ she scolded herself for going outside in only a tank top and thin pajama bottoms in October.

 

Before she could excuse herself to grab another layer of clothing, Jughead had already shed his jacket and was holding it out to her. It was warm and it smelled like him.

 

The two sat in silence for a couple of minutes in the soft morning light and thought about the scene that had unfolded in that very same spot the night before.

 

Sneaking a look at Jughead, she noticed that his jaw was tight. She could see him thinking about how to start the conversation, and she was surprised when he blurted, “It all just reminded me too much of my dad.” He paused and Betty didn’t dare interrupt him.

 

“The drunkenness. The fighting and the crying. The drama and the tears. A lot of that used to happen around my house when I was growing up.” Another pause. “My father was an alcoholic and my mother was a drug addict. Still are. My dad would come home late from a night out and promptly throw up everywhere. Maybe hit something … or someone. And then pass out on the couch or the floor, whichever he could get to first. If my mother wasn’t too high, she’d be hysteric for the rest of the night.”

 

Betty reached out and intertwined her hand with his in lieu of a verbal response. He smiled weakly and kept going.

 

“It was all too familiar,” he admitted. “The whole situation just too close to comfort. And I know it wasn’t entirely Archie’s fault, I just needed someone to blame my anger on.”

 

“Juggie.” Betty said, the nickname came out feeling both unfamiliar and comfortable. She squeezed the hand she was holding. “It’s okay to lose it sometimes.”

 

“Yeah, but--”

 

She kindly interrupts, “I know this is college and we’re expected to have our lives together as soon as we move away from home but that’s just not the case. I don’t know a single kid here that isn’t still struggling to fall into the rhythm of life away from home.”

 

“I should be glad to be away but I just can’t shake the feeling that I’ll never stop encountering trouble around every corner. Being away from home is great, but at the same time, part of my heart still aches to be back. Even though it’s a toxic environment and there’s nothing there for me. Except JB.”  
  


“JB?” Betty questions.

 

“My sister. Her nickname is Jellybean but she goes by JB now.”

 

“Jughead and Jellybean,” she smiles fondly. “What a pair.”

 

“Yeah, whenever I think my real name is bad I just remember hers and then I’m not as pissed,” Jughead lets out something resembling a laugh for the first time that morning. “And before you ask, no. I’m still not telling you.”

 

Betty juts out her lip in a very exaggerated fake pout. “Now that’s just not fair.”

 

“Well can I make it up to you with pastries and coffee?”

 

“I could try to put up a front, but it’s too early in the morning for bribery to be a complete waste on me. Just let me go put on some real pants first.”

 

Jughead stays in his chair while Betty heads back inside to change. Half of his problem has been solved and he hopes that Archie will be as understanding as Betty had been. But then again, he didn’t think _anyone_ was quite like that girl.

 

She re-emerged in minutes wearing jeans and a new tee, but still his jacket. He liked the looks of it.

  
“What?” Betty noticed that he had been looking at her the same way he looked at her when she showed him the picture of her Mia Wallace costume.

 

“Nothing,” he mumbles. “I’m just trying to figure out where you’ve been hiding.”

 

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The room to Betty’s door slammed shut and she winced, hoping that Veronica was awake already. _If she wasn’t already, she sure is now._

Sure enough, Veronica was still sitting on the tile floor in the bathroom but she was engrossed in her phone so that was a good sign.

  
  
“What the hell happened?” Veronica asked. “I don’t really remember a whole lot but I’m assuming it was one monkey shy of a shitshow.”

 

Betty laughed. “Did you make that up? Yeah, it was definitely something else.”  


The girl on the floor rubbed her temples. “Archie has been texting me all morning. He keeps apologizing? I don’t know if I should be mad or not because I don’t really remember what he did. The more important question is what did _I do?_ And spare me none of the embarrassing details."

 

“Well, what’s the last thing you remember?”

  
  
“That I was drinking a lot of alcohol. There were tons of pretty girls and all eyes were on Archie. It was intimidating. So I kept drinking, trying to loosen up and have a good time. I also wanted to dim my insecurities. Looking back on what I can remember, I guess I went past the point of no return and here we are now.” She winces and gestures toward the toilet.

 

“Ronnie, you know that you are absolutely breathtaking, right??” Betty questions. “When I’m out in public with you I can always feel eyes on us. _On you.”_

“But this is college, Betty. There is a standard. You have to be bubbly and fun. Guys want the _cool girls._ ”

 

“I’m not biting,” Betty says. “Any guy that wants me to meet his every pre-formed expectation is a guy that wants a Barbie, not a human woman. He wants an illusion. Something he’ll never find.”

 

“I just worry that I’m not enough,” Veronica’s voice breaks. “For Archie, I mean. What if he does want fun and cool and perfect? I will never be able to deliver.”

  
Betty sinks down onto the floor beside her friend and envelops her in a hug. “I don’t know Archie like you do, but I did see the fear in his eyes last night when he saw that something had happened to you. That boy is fixed on you. All those other girls around may as well have been mannequins because he was only seeing you. I promise. You have nothing to worry about.”

 

“Okay but as if it wasn’t enough that I ruined my own date, I ruined yours and Jughead’s too. I’m so sorry, Betty.”

 

“Our date had practically ended anyway; we were just about to get ice cream. And that’s _just_ what I needed in the wee hours of the morning. Honestly, you saved me from spending money on things I don’t need.”

 

Veronica laughs.

 

“Hey, I picked up a croissant for you if you’re hungry. It’s in there on my desk. But please, take a shower first. You smell like alcohol vomit and regret,” Betty wrinkles her nose up and laughs.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Archie was strumming his guitar when Jughead walked into their shared room. He didn’t even look up when the door opened.

 

_Okay, so this conversation is definitely going to be more difficult than the one with Betty._

 

Jughead walked over to his desk and flipped the wooden chair around backward, straddling it and crossing his arms over the back. He looked at Archie. Still no response. Jughead waited for what felt like 10 minutes. Archie never looked up.

 

“Come on, Arch,” he said gently to his friend. “The only way to solve this is to actually talk about it.”

  
  
“Where have you even been, Jug??” Archie finally snapped. He was furious, worried, and confused all in one phrase.

 

“I’m sorry man, I just needed a few hours to cool down. Slept in my car.”

 

“You slept in your car? I’m such a bad person that you can’t stand to be around me? Wow.”

 

Archie was mad which Jughead knew was justifiable. The most important thing that his therapist had taught him was that anger is a secondary emotion. People don’t feel anger as an initial response to any situation. First, they get hurt or frustrated and after that emotion, the anger sets in. This knowledge had helped Jughead to be more patient with others, especially his father who seemed to be eternally angry.

  
He sighed. “You know how I get. You know things go South incredibly fast when I lose my temper. The best thing for me to have done last night was to remove myself from the situation entirely.”

 

Archie was quiet, but he seemed to understand. Jughead gave him time to process.

 

“You are the most important person in my life other than Jellybean. Do you know that? Look at me, man. I need you to know that. And I can’t just be fucking that kind of shit up.”

 

“Jug, you have to know that I didn’t mean for any of that stuff to happen last night. And I never meant to bring up any bad memories for you. I know what it looked like, but I swear –“

 

“I know you, Arch. I know that heart of yours. It’s so big, it’s stupid. And I trust you. There’s nothing that you need to convince me of.”

 

“I didn’t mean the things I said about you, either. I was just angry with myself so I took it out on you.”

 

“I mean you weren’t wrong. I do spend too much time on my computer. But that’s what I’m here for, I guess. Gotta do something productive with my time while I’m away from home. Else, I’m just wasting it.”

 

“Something productive watching movies with cute blonde girls?” Archie grins.

 

“Yeah, that’s the only other thing that I can fit into my busy schedule.” Jughead is quiet for a moment. “I really like that girl, Arch.”

 

“Dude, you better hope you didn’t blow it last night."

 

“Already talked to her this morning. We went and grabbed breakfast.”

 

“She must really like you back,” Archie says. “When are you going to take her on a real date? Not some movies in a dorm crap.”

 

“I firmly believe that anything is a date if you make it one. But if you must know, I’m in the process of planning something actually.”

 

Archie got up and grabbed a cereal box.

 

“Nah man, put that down,” Jughead instructs. “I’m feeling Waffle House.”

 

 

 

 


	8. Closer

It was a fairly stable week for Betty. Things had returned to normal for the most part. Someone had picked up Veronica’s keys in the parking lot of a bank downtown and that had been a weight lifted off both of their shoulders. As far as Friday night, the ripples left in the wake of the whole catastrophe had stilled and the dynamic between the four’s friendship had settled into a comfortable routine.

 

They would meet together for lunch or dinner, whichever their schedules allowed, and discuss the events of their day. Veronica and Archie would flirt across the table and Betty and Jughead would steal glances at each other. It just felt _right._

But in the midst of it all, Betty still couldn’t help but wonder what Jughead’s feelings were. His words rang in her ears on a loop and she could still picture the musing look he had on his face when he said he was “trying to figure out where she had been hiding.” _What did that mean, exactly?_

 

And even though she didn’t blame Veronica, she was bummed that her and Jughead’s first date had been cut short. He was the one that had made the plans, so did that mean it was her turn to initiate the next ones? It was already Thursday evening and Jughead hadn’t mentioned anything as far a second date. Betty was beginning to wonder if that was a sign.

 

Betty was the queen of getting her hopes up and having them dashed. From friendships - that is, until Ronnie came along – to past relationships, they had never worked out quite as she envisioned. And that’s to be expected in most cases, but Betty really didn’t want that to happen with her and Jughead.

 

He was so unlike everyone she’d ever known. Burdened by a load that anyone would be more than crippled under, and he pushed through with strength to spare. He lived life for himself, one that he was proud of. Betty was inspired by him, and she couldn’t remember the last time she felt that toward anyone.

 

But at the same time, Betty felt like she might not be enough for him. He hadn’t exactly told her how he felt and even though she was intuitive beyond measure, she still couldn’t get a full read. As much as she enjoyed cryptic compliments and affectionate glances, _she wanted to be sure._

 

_\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

 

 

No matter what plans Jughead laid out, nothing seemed like it was enough. He wanted to sweep Betty off of her feet. She spent a great deal of time worrying over others and making sure they were happy and he wanted to do the same for her. He was willing to bet that no one had ever taken that much care and consideration for her. Jughead knew that if anyone had ever taken the time to truly get to know and appreciate Betty, she wouldn’t be single.

She was magnificent. Her gentleness was beyond compare and sometimes he wondered how she had escaped the hardening of the heart that inevitably came along with living in such a fucked up world. Watching her live in such a beautiful way was like admiring a sunset.

 

Suddenly, he had it. _Sunset hill._

‘ **Got any plans for Saturday night?** ’ he texted Betty.

 

‘ **Would it be terribly presumptuous to say that I do now?** ’ was her reply. Jughead couldn’t contain his smile.

 

‘ **I’ll pick you up at 6. Wear something cozy, it’s chilly outside this time of year.** ’ He instructed, suddenly apprehensive that he might have given away the surprise.

 

‘ **I’ll try to remember my jacket this time ;-)** ’

 

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Betty fell asleep the for the next two nights with a smile on her face. Jughead wanted to spend more time with her. _Her. Betty Cooper._

 

She must have done something right to capture the attention of someone like him. He seemed choosy, although not in a conceited way. More like in a way that demonstrated how important his time and effort was to him and how he sought to spent it on those who were worthy.

 

Betty wanted to tell him how she felt. How she wanted to know everything about him and could spend all night listening to him talk, or just sitting in shared silence. How everything that he did piqued her interest and she hung on every word that he spoke.

 

 _But when was the right time? Would it ever come up organically?_ _When exactly is the right time to profess your feelings for someone? And would it change everything?_

She couldn’t wait to see what Saturday night had in store. She hoped it would be kind.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Jughead checked his watch. **4:57 PM.** He was in the checkout line of the grocery store, hands full of goodies for his and Betty’s night. Setting the items down on the checkout belt, he triple checked to make sure he had everything they would need. Croissants, ham and cheese, container of assorted diced fruit, and a bouquet of sunflowers. The flowers had been an impulse decision as they had reminded him of Betty. He was almost positive that she’d been one of the happy little flowers in her past life.

 

He paid for the items and headed to his car. Just enough time to grab the rest of the essentials and pick Betty up with a few minutes to spare.

Once he had loaded up his car with all the blankets he had brought with him to college, he hopped in and made one final stop to Bluebird. There, he had his favorite thermos filled to the brim with their award-winning hot chocolate. Cool nights called for warm drinks.

 

He pulled up outside Betty’s dorm at 5:54 PM and she appeared in a matter of minutes. She was wearing leggings and an oversized sweater, her usual style but breathtaking just the same. He reached across to open the passenger door and she slid into the seat beside him. A wave of something flowery flooded his senses. It was the sweetest thing he had ever smelled and he couldn’t help but wonder how much of it was perfume and how much was just _her._

 

“Hey there,” she gave him a smile that could melt even the hardest hearts.

 

Before she even opened her mouth, Jughead was enchanted.

 

“Hey, yourself,” he replied, reaching behind him and locating the flowers. He held them out to her and her eyes lit up.

 

“These are my favorite flowers in the whole entire world, how did you know?”

 

“I just had a feeling,” he shrugged with a shy smile. “To be honest, I’ve never seen anything that reminded me more distinctly of you.”

 

“You don’t understand, that is the highest compliment I’ve ever received,” she reached across and hugged his neck.

 

Jughead breathed her in and he was sure it was his new favorite smell. He lifted his hands and settled them on her back, hugging her in return.

 

When she broke away, he knew he was grinning like an idiot. Putting the car in gear, he started toward sunset hill.

 

“Where are we going?” Betty asked.

 

“If I told you, it would spoil the night. It’s nothing fancy by any stretch, and the anticipation is probably going to be the best part.”

 

“I’m sure it’s going to be marvelous and I can’t wait,” she said. “Do you have an aux?”

 

He handed her the cord and she plugged her phone in, scrolling through her music.

 

“There’s a lot hinging on this moment,” he joked.

 

“Well I hope I don’t blow it,” she laughed, stopping on her song choice.

 

Jughead recognized the song by its first note and he nodded his head in appreciation. _Mind over Matter_ by Young the Giant played through his car speakers.

 

“I’m impressed, Betty. This song is one of my favorites. Are you trying to bribe me into telling you where we’re going?”

  
“Well if it’s working,” she returned playfully.

 

They spent the rest of the drive discussing their favorite music and singing along to Betty’s selections.

 

When they pulled into the parking lot of the field, Betty turned to him with bright eyes. She had figured it out.

 

“I’ve heard about this place and have been wanting to come out here but just never gotten around to it!” she looked delighted.

 

Jughead put the car in park and they hopped out. He grabbed the food items and Betty carried the multitude of blankets, the armload all but hiding her tiny figure.

 

They picked a spot that was a comfortable distance away from all other spectators of the sunset and set up camp.

 

“So how did you come up with this plan?” Betty asked. “Most guys would plan dinner in a restaurant and be done with it. But this – this is next level.”

 

“Well, you’re a pretty next level gal, Betts,” he had affectionately shortened her name before he could stop himself. “If you don’t mind me calling you that.”

 

“Of course,” she was blushing fiercely now.

 

“Okay so this was sort of an afterthought, but I really hope you like generic lunch meat and flaky bread,” he gestured at the ham and croissants. “Oh, and fruit. Got some of that too.”

 

“Yes, this is perfect,” the blonde assured.

 

He checked his watch again. **6:23 PM.** Sunset was at 6:58. They were right on schedule.

 

“So your sister,” Betty began as she was piecing together a sandwich, “Jellybean, right?”

 

Jughead nodded.

 

“How did she get that nickname?”

 

“It’s quite an amusing turn of events, actually. When she was younger, all she wanted to eat were Jellybeans. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner she wanted to eat candy. Neither of my parents were ever nominees for parent of the year award so they were pretty lax when it came to getting her to eat anything of nutritional value. It was an ongoing battle and they gave it up when it required more than minimal effort which actually worked in their favor because one day, she ate so many that she made herself sick. Ever since that day, she couldn’t stand Jellybeans. So to tease her, we started calling her that. She hated it, and that just fueled the fire so it just kinda stuck.”

 

“Very interesting, indeed,” Betty concluded. “And how did you get dubbed Jughead?”

 

He sighed. “See, that origin story is a little darker. It was around the time I was six years old. My dad was in one of his famous rages one night and I happened to be in his way. He pushed me aside and I fell into the edge of our kitchen’s counter. Side note, I still have the scar,” he pulled up his jacket sleeve to reveal a jagged scar on his right arm. “Anyways, after he knocked me out of the way, he told me to stop being such a ‘Jughead.’ I think it was supposed to be an insult? But it just sounded amusing to me so being the smartass that I am, I requested to be addressed by that name from then on. I’m not one to be outdone, so here we are today.”

 

“That’s quite a story, Juggie,” she commented, picking up a strawberry and popping it into her mouth.

 

“Yeah, I’m definitely full of interesting tales. But what about you, do you have any siblings?”

 

“I have a sister named Polly. She’s perfect though, my parents firmly believe that she can do no wrong. I’m the screwed up on in the family. Come to think of it, Polly has never actually had a headache in her life. I don’t think she’s ever been faced with a setback. She’s got perfect grades, perfect attendance, a perfect boyfriend – basically everything that has always been just out of my reach. Even though she’s my younger sister, I’m living in her shadow.”

 

Jughead saw her eyes glistening with tears. _Touchy subject,_ he concluded. He scooted closer across the blanket and wrapped his arm around her, hugging her close.

 

“Hey, I sure don’t know Polly but I can’t imagine anyone ever outshining you. At least not in my eyes. You are a light.”

 

Betty looked up into the dark-haired boy’s eyes and was met with nothing but transparent sincerity. Not only was he saying sweet things, he was meaning them too.

 

She was so lost in his ocean eyes that she almost missed the magnificent colors that were forming in the sky before them. Pink and purple clouds were painted in brushstrokes across the sky. They faded into bright reds and oranges and then morphed into yellows right next to the horizon.

 

“Breathtaking,” she sighed.

 

“Another thing that reminds me of you, Betts,” he looked down into her emerald eyes. The sunset was reflecting in them, adding another layer to a view that he was already losing himself in.

 

_Wait, was he imagining things or had she glanced at his lips?_

He really didn’t want to ruin their already tender moment. But he was going to kick himself into next month if he didn’t kiss her.

 

Jughead moved his hand from where it had been resting on Betty’s back and cupped her jaw, tilting her chin up to his face. Their lips met and Jughead’s mouth came in contact with lips softer than any he’d ever dreamed of. Her mouth was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted in his twenty years of life and he was immediately filled with a thirst for a flavor he had never fathomed before. _And there was that smell again._ She had truly infiltrated all of his senses.

 

Illuminated by a brilliant sunset, two of the most intricate souls became entangled in their first kiss.

 

When they broke away, neither of them wanted to shatter the bubble of perfect silence that had surrounded them.

 

“I adore you,” was all Jughead could think to say.

 

“The feeling is mutual, Juggie.”

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

After all of the food had been eaten and the hot chocolate downed, the two headed home. They shared a few more kisses before parting, each one sweeter than the last – due in part to the richness of the hot chocolate.

 

When the night came to an end and Betty was back in her room, she tried to pinpoint exactly what she was feeling. As she recounted the events of her night and the man who had planned it, all of her thoughts united under common theme –

 

_I’ve never wanted for anything more._

She fell asleep with an unfamiliar but welcome taste still on her lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Yikes, this is my first time writing a fic. I hope it isn't too obvious.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed, and please let me know what you thought. I need all the input I can get!


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